


Human Pet

by cullens_pet



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-04
Updated: 2012-09-04
Packaged: 2017-11-13 13:13:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 20
Words: 47,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/503892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cullens_pet/pseuds/cullens_pet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Edward never made it to the ballet studio on time. James had a far worse fate than death in store for Bella. One that Bella could have never imagined in her worst nightmares.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything twilight. It all belongs to S. Meyer

 

Human Pet

Bella POV

I was frantic as I entered the ballet studio. I searched the dark corners for her, fearing what I would find. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to her. Then I heard her. "Bella, Bella! Where are you?" I said, "Mom! I'm here!" I raced across the room and wrenched open the doors that her voice seemed to be coming from. I stepped back in confusion. It was only a TV. I recognized one of our home videos. My mom ruffled my hair on the screen and said, "Don't do that ever again! I was so worried!" Then the screen suddenly went blank. My mom was never here. Relief saturated my body as I realized that she was safe. I heard him behind me and I felt a stab of fear. Adrenaline coursed through my body as my heart started beating in double time. I slowly turned around to face my tormenter.

He was standing across the room from me with a remote in his hand. In my haste to reach my mother, I hadn't seen him standing in the shadows. He crossed the room and I watched him put the remote beside the TV. He looked at me quizzically. He almost seemed confused. He said, "You don't look scared." I wasn't sure what to say. I was scared but I was also relieved. My mother was safe. She had never been terrified by the crimson eyes that were fixated on me now. Eyes that were rapidly changing to black with thirst.

I swallowed heavily, fighting my panic. I was resigned to my fate. I didn't need to be the pathetic human now. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction. Somehow I knew that it would give him more pleasure if he saw my weakness. I said, " I'm relieved. I was worried about my mother, but she obviously isn't here." He said, "You're not mad that I tricked you?" I thought for a moment and decided that I was glad that no one else would suffer because of me. I said, "No." He cocked his head to the side. He said, "You really mean that, don't you? You humans are so strange. Some of you don't seem to have any sense of self preservation. Observing you would be entertaining. I'll give your coven that much. Speaking of which, you don't suppose they are following you here?" I said, "They don't know where I am." He said, "Aren't you going to tell me that your boyfriend will avenge you?" He hissed the word boyfriend, which confused me. Why did that bother him? He was looking at me hopefully, waiting for an answer. I said, " I don't think so. At least, I asked him not to. He smirked, "What did he say to that?" "I don't know," I stated. "I left him a letter." He laughed, "A last letter, how romantic. Well our hopes are very different then. This was altogether too easy. I'm used to a much bigger challenge. Do you mind if I leave a letter of my own to your dear Edward?" He raised a palm sized camcorder. The red light was already on. Recording. My stomach churned. I hadn't anticipated that. He said, "Watching this, I don't think little Edward will be able to resist hunting me."

He was quite close to me now. My back was pressed against the wall. I had nowhere left to run. My knees started shaking and my heart felt like it was going to jump right out of my chest. He said, "I might not have even bothered, but you do smell delectable." He was close enough that I could feel his cool breath on my face. He reached for me and terror seized my body. I turned my head. He chuckled and picked up a strand of my hair. He sniffed it. He said, "Floral somehow. Altogether too enticing." He gently patted my hair back into place. His hand traced my collarbone and I shuddered. He took my chin roughly in his cold hand and turned my head. This was it. My life was going to end. "I love you Edward," I thought. Then I braced myself for the pain. Nothing happened. We stood there for what seemed like an eternity. My eyes flew open. What was going on here?

James POV

I stood her holding there face in my hand unsure of what to do next. I wanted her badly. Her scent was the single most tantalizing smell that I'd ever come across. It took every ounce of self control that I possessed to not drain her on the spot. I'd heard of tales of this phenomenon before. But in three hundred years I'd never come across it before. She was my singer. But I could only taste her sweet nectar once. Or could I? A plan was forming in my mind. It was perfect. I was excited. I knew her coven would never stop looking. But that wouldn't be a problem. Being a tracker, I would always know when they were getting close. This was getting better and better. And the girl was beautiful, even if she is only human. She would be magnificent as a vampire. Maybe one day I'd change her. The possibilities were endless.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes. I stared into their chocolate depths. They were endless pools that seemed to go on forever. I imagined that I could see her soul. I made up my mind. I said, "You know, Bella, my original plan had been to torture and drain you, leaving your mangled body for them to find. But I've come up with a much better idea. One that is sure to get your coven to hunt me."

I let my words sink in for a moment. I loved manipulating my prey. Only I wasn't going to kill her. Not yet. Her eyes had filled with tears, but she didn't cry. They were just on the brink, dangerously close to falling over the edge. It was delicious. I licked my lips in anticipation. Then I continued, "I think I'm going to make you my pet. A human pet. Do you know what that is?" She shook her head no. I said, "You see, your blood sings to me. I've never wanted something so much in my life. But to kill you now would be wasteful. I'd only get to taste you once. If I take you with me, let you live, then I could taste you over and over again. Maybe even taste you in more ways than one." I definitely planned on it. I said that part to the camera. It was just for Edward. I would be leaving my tape behind for them to find and his rage would make my game more gratifying. I could guarantee with absolute certainty that they would come for me after they watched this.

I focused on her face watching her reaction. She was horrified. She wasn't stupid. She'd understood the meaning of my words. They weren't empty threats. My plans for the lovely Bella were steadily evolving. She knew death would have been the easier option. The tears she'd fought to hold back escaped and trickled down her face.

Bella POV

I opened my eyes after an immeasurable length of time. I was tired of his game. I wanted it to be over. I didn't blink as he stared at me What was he looking for? Finally he broke the silence. "You know, Bella, my original plan had been to torture and drain you, leaving your mangled body for them to find. But I've come up with a much better idea. One that is sure to get your coven to hunt me." He paused for a moment as my eyes filled with tears. I blinked furiously trying to hold them back as he licked his lips. "You see, your blood sings to me. I've never wanted something so much in my life." Wait a minute. I'm his singer. Why wasn't I dead? I had the worst luck imaginable. My blood sang to two vampires. He was still talking. "But to kill you now would be wasteful. I'd only get to taste you once. If I take you with me, let you live, then I could taste you over and over again. Maybe even taste you in more ways than one." He had a peculiar look on his face as he said these words. Was it desire? It was so similar to the look Edward sometimes had but at the same time so different. Edward always reigned in his desire for me. He never wanted to hurt me. James, on the other hand, had no such qualms. His expression frightened me further. My pulse quickened yet again if that was possible.

What did that mean 'in more ways than one'. Comprehension dawned on me and I was hit with a wave of revulsion. My tears that I'd so carefully reigned in began to flow. I was horrified. He was only inches from my face. I tried to turn my head but he held my chin firmly. It was aching. I could see the resolve in his eyes. He pressed his cold, marble body against mine. I shuddered. He whispered, "This doesn't have to be so bad, Bella." His breath tickled my cheek. I shut my eyes. "You might even enjoy it." I was beyond frightened now. I didn't want this, but I had no choice in the matter. He was a thousand times stronger and a thousand times faster than me. I couldn't run and I couldn't fight. He slowly pressed his icy lips to mine. I stood there like a statue. What else could I do? If I fought him I'd only hurt myself. He forced his frozen tongue into my mouth. Nausea curled into the pit of my stomach as I waited for it to end. He stopped. He said, "I can see why Edward is so attracted to you. You are so warm and soft. Delicious. Your mouth tastes as good as you smell. I wonder if the rest of you tastes as good." I shuddered again. I'd rather die than to have him touch me. "We'll be seeing you, I'm sure Edward. Tell him goodbye, Bella."

I looked at the camera, tears streaming down my face. I was going to hurt him yet again. I couldn't seem to keep from hurting the ones that I love. "I'm sorry, Edward. I love you. Goodbye." The next thing I knew, my body was slumping to the floor. The pain in my head was excruciating. I didn't even see what had happened. Then darkness claimed me.


	2. Chapter 2

Human Pet Chapter 2(NM)

Edward POV

The flight seemed to last forever. Every second that I was away from my love seemed like an eternity. I didn't feel like myself without her. Incomplete. We were truly two halves of the whole. She was the sun while I was the moon. Just like the moon orbiting the sun, I orbited her. She was my everything. I'd only thought that I was living before she entered my life. Now I knew that I was just existing. I didn't truly care about anything. Sure, I loved my family, but that love paled in comparison for what I felt for her. She was the light in my day. There wasn't anything that I wouldn't do for her. I had to make her safe once more. I was furious with myself for putting her in danger in the first place. If I'd been a little stronger, been less selfish, then she'd be in Forks right now enjoying spring break. But I needed her. I was drawn to her like a moth to the flame of a candle. As much as I struggled, as much as I fought against it, I kept getting pulled in. She was like a Siren from Greek mythology. Her blood called to me. Her scent. Her very being. Her soul. It was unfair. She was in danger from my mere presence. I refused to believe as Alice believed. That Bella was destined from birth to be a vampire. That would also mean that she was destined to be damned. And I refused to believe that. She was too good for that to be true. The plane started to descend and I almost felt like I was channeling Alice. I was almost bouncing out my seat with excitement. In a few moments we'd be reunited. This was the longest time I'd been away from Bella since I gave in to my feelings toward her.

I could tell that something was dreadfully wrong as soon as the plane touched down onto the tarmac. I scanned for Alice and Jasper's thoughts trying to pinpoint their location in the vast airport. I was also hoping to get a glimpse of my love in their minds. Damn it. Alice was translating The Battle Hymn of the Republic into Arabic. She only did things like that when she was hiding something from me. I switched to Jasper. His thoughts were more worrisome. I'm sorry, Edward. I let everyone down. I got off the plane in a near panic. I saw Jasper and Alice on the far side of the terminal. Alone. If my heart had been beating it would have stopped right then. Where was she? Before I knew what I was doing, I had Jasper by the neck pinned against the wall.

"Where is she?," I hissed.

Jasper said, "I'm sorry Edward. I don't know how she got away from me." From his mind, I saw Bella entering a bathroom while he waited. She never came back.

Edward. Let him go. Carlisle was pleading with me in his mind. We can't be seen like this. If we are detained then we can't begin to try and find Bella. It's not his fault. Keep the secret.

I let Jasper go immediately and stepped away from him. "I'm sorry Jasper," I apologized. "I don't know what came over me." Alice walked over to me and pulled something out of her bag. She said, "Bella gave me this to give to her mother, but I think it's for you." She handed me an envelope.

I tore it open and read it quickly. Oh, no! How could she? Why would she go to him? She had to know that he would surely kill her. My heart ached at the thought of losing her. That silly girl thought that James had her mom. Of course he didn't, but Bella was such a bad liar that she believed anyone with the least bit of skill. Alice grew very still all of a sudden, her eyes focused on something far away in her mind's eye. I delved into her mind so I could see what she was seeing. It was a room full of mirrors. James with Bella pressed against the wall kissing her. I growled with rage.

She said, "I know where she is."

We raced outside, hardly able to keep up our human pretenses. Alice stole a car and we sped off to get her. It was a race against time. I just knew in my heart that we'd be too late. As good as she smelled to all of my kind, I knew James would kill her. My body shook as I dry sobbed in the backseat. I'd never be able to go on without her. If she was dead, then I'd find a way to die too. I knew from Carlisle's experience that we didn't die easily. But Carlisle didn't know about the Volturi when he attempted to take his life. I decided that if Bella was dead, if we failed to save her, then I was going to make the trip to Italy. I wouldn't be parted from her. Even in death.

We careened around the corner onto 58th St. Alice shouted, "Go, Edward!" I flung myself from the car nearly wrenching the door off its hinges. I reached the door in seconds. God, I could smell her. Her lovely scent causing my throat to erupt in a fireball of pain. I pulled the door open, breaking the frame in the process. The room was empty. She had been here with him, but their scents were fading. I walked forward and caught a whiff of blood in the air. Bella's blood. Her mouthwatering freesia bouquet. If I could vomit, I would have right there. Bella was hurt. Bleeding.

The rest of my family rushed into the room. Carlisle said, "Where did they go?"

Then I saw it. A camcorder beside the TV across the room. I could smell his scent on it. I growled. There was a note stuck to it. Watch me, was the message. I picked up the camera and brought it over to Carlisle. My hands were already shaking. I had no doubt that when I saw what he had done to her that I would shatter the fragile lead we had on Bella's whereabouts. We needed to see the whole tape to look for clues to try to find her. I wouldn't be able to control my reactions or my emotions. Thousands of horrible thoughts flooded my head, all depicting the terrible things he might have done to her while Carlisle rewound the tape. I'd never forgive myself for letting Bella down. I'd swore to protect her and I'd failed.

Carlisle pushed the play button. It made my heart ache to see her in such a predicament. She was the bravest person that I knew. She had knowingly walked into death's arms so she could save her mother. Warring with her bravery was terror. She had served herself up on a silver platter for James and she tried not to let him see that she was scared, but I knew her better than that. I could tell from the expression in her eyes and from the way she held her body. She also undoubtedly wanted to shield us from the pain of watching her tremble in fear. She always thought about everyone's needs before her own. She was totally selfless and she didn't deserve this. I didn't deserve her.

James was talking to her conversationally. That must be part of his game. He liked to lull his prey into a false sense of security. I was tired of his bravado already. Bella saw through his act and she wasn't letting her guard down. He was trying to goad us into hunting him. He was crazy. Nothing on this planet could have deterred us. Of course Bella didn't want us to, probably afraid that one of us would get hurt. She could never concept the fact that we didn't need protecting, that she did. There was no way that we would let James get away with this. No matter how it ended.

He started spelling his plans out to her. He said, "You know, Bella, my original plan had been to torture and drain you, leaving your mangled body for them to find. But I've come up with a much better idea. One that is sure to get your coven to hunt me."

What could possibly infuriate us more than her tortuous death? I was afraid to find out. I could see the tears in her eyes, but she didn't cry. Afraid that it might hurt me when I saw this tape. I moaned with grief. I wasn't good enough for her. She deserved someone better than me.

James continued his rant. "I think I'm going to make you my pet. A human pet."

I growled in rage. I'd heard of vampires doing such things, but it was barbaric. What kind of sick, twisted monster was he? I'll admit that the thoughts he'd had that day in the meadow were disturbing, but nothing worse than the normal thoughts that I'd heard from my kind while they were in hunting mode. This was something altogether more perverse. I shuddered when I thought of what Bella might have to endure at his sadistic hands.

He droned on, "You see, your blood sings to me." She sings to him! Disaster really did follow her around. How had he restrained himself? I remembered that day in biology. I was crazed from her scent and the burning thirst that it engendered. I was so lost in my memories that I almost missed the last part of his diatribe.

"But to kill you now would be wasteful. I'd only get to taste you once. If I take you with me, let you live, then I could taste you over and over again. Maybe even taste you in more ways than one."

A strangled cry of unadulterated fury erupted from me. He wouldn't dare. My angel, my Bella. I watched helplessly as she lost her composure, the tears she'd fought to contain cascading down her face. She had understood the double meaning of his words. She had obviously remembered the discussions we'd had on the subject and how very dangerous it could be for her.

I was positively shaking with rage as I watched him press his body against hers. It was Alice's vision in the airport replayed on the small screen. I could tell that Bella was repulsed by him but she didn't attempt to fight him. I was thankful that she kept her wits. She didn't need to be causing herself unnecessary damage.

My mind was moving at the speed of light. I had to find her before… I couldn't even think the words. If it didn't physically kill her, it would psychologically and emotionally. She was strong but this was something that she might not ever recover from. My mind was racked with grief and guilt because it was all my fault that she was in this position.

I didn't think that I had it in me to get any more enraged than I already was until he spoke about how warm and soft she was. Then describing how she tastes. I could still taste her on my own lips. Then he told her to say goodbye. This last image of her would haunt my existence forever. I'd never felt so inadequate in my whole damned life. I'd totally and utterly failed her. She'd put her faith and trust in me and I'd let her down. She looked at the camera, her tears forming small rivulets as they cascaded down her lovely cheeks. "I'm sorry, Edward. I love you. Goodbye," she whispered.

Then he hit her moving so fast that the camera hadn't even caught his movement. She didn't know what had happened. She slumped to the floor with a dazed look on her face. I hissed with rage. How dare he lay one finger on her.

Then he was speaking again. Taunting us. "You know, this has worked out far better than I'd originally planned. I know that you will hunt for us. But I assure you, it won't be easy. I'm a tracker, as I'm sure you already know. You also know that every time you get close, I'll know. I wouldn't be surprised if it took years to find us. By then, would she really be worth saving? Humans are so easily broken, mind and body." He let his hand trail up her thigh, laughing darkly at the inflection of his last words. I growled yet again. Of course she was worth saving. I'd never stop looking until I had her safe in my arms again.

He looked at her face and I could see the possessive look in his eye. In his mind, she already belonged to him. Then, using his fingernail, he sliced her arm. I moaned in agony as he lapped the blood from the gash. I had to find her. She would be just an empty shell if this continued for too long.

He pulled himself away from her arm. He swept her long mahogany locks away from her face. He said, "Of course, she is beautiful. After awhile, when I show her how much better off she is with me, I may just make her my mate. She wouldn't even remember you. I'm sure I'll be seeing you Edward." The tape stopped.

My body sank to the floor. Words can't describe the agony that I was experiencing. The reason that I existed was in mortal danger. I hadn't prevented it. I may as well have killed her myself. After all that, she'd said that she still loved me. I said, "What do we do, Carlisle? How do we find her?" He said, "James was right, Edward. Every time we get close, he's going to know. He can find things, but he can also not want to be found." Carlisle looked grieved for a moment. Then a look of ferocious determination replaced it. He said confidently, "I don't know, son. I don't know, but we will get her back."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N This chapter is extremely dark and is rated NC-17. I realize that there are younger readers on this website. If you are one of these please do not continue with this chapter. *gives evil mom you had better not glare*

Chapter 3

Bella POV

I opened my eyes groggily. The first thing that I was aware of was the aching throb in my head. I reached up and touched it gingerly, gasping in pain when my fingers trailed across my temple. I also felt a stinging sensation in my arm. In the dim light of the room, I could just see a cut about two inches long on the inside of my forearm. I was confused. How'd that happen? My thoughts finally returned to reality. The ballet studio. James. My eyes quickly darted around the room in terror. He wasn't there. I breathed a sigh of relief.

It was so dark in there that I could only see a few details. Or serious lack there of. The only thing in the entire room was a bed and I was laying on it. I sat up and the room tilted crazily. Okay, that wasn't a good idea. I laid back down and curled into a ball on the bed. Why was I so tired and weak?

I turned my thoughts to Edward. It was all I could do to stifle the sob of agony that ripped through my body. I missed him so much that it was actually painful. I was angry at myself for getting into this situation. The pain I had caused him. I also felt fear. Fear for the safety of him and his family. I knew in my heart that James was right. They would hunt for us. It would be more than I could bear if something happened to one of them because of me. I was weak and frail and impossibly plain. I was not worth fighting for.

I saw a shadow move under the door and I involuntarily shivered in fear. The door creaked open. It was him. I was close to having an all out panic attack now. My heart was beating so hard in my chest that all I could hear for a moment was the frantic drumming in my ears. My breathing became labored as I struggled to calm myself down. His ideas about a pet frightened me more than death ever could. At least with death, you knew what to expect. It might not be quick and painless, but it was final. You wouldn't wake up the next day and have to experience it all over again. This was beginning to feel like a never-ending nightmare. My own private version of hell.

"Hello, Bella," he said pleasantly as he shut the door. "Your coven has found my 'letter'. They are hunting for you just as I expected them to, but they are no where even close. They don't even know what direction I took you out of Phoenix. I must confess, things are going better than I planned."

He crossed the room, making his way over toward the bed. Toward me. I resisted the overpowering urge to run from him. It was an action based in futility. Fight or flight. It was laughable really. I couldn't run from him or fight him. My body's natural instincts weren't going to work against James. Besides, at the moment I felt so lightheaded that I'd probably fall on my face. The only thing I could hope for is to maybe outwit him.

He stopped in front of me. I whispered, "Please. Just kill me. Don't do this."

He laughed and pulled me to my feet. I looked at the floor so I didn't have to look into his eyes. I was afraid of what I would see. He said, "Now why would I do that? You are so much more useful to me alive." He put his cold finger under my chin and tilted my head up so he could look into my eyes. "You are beautiful. Edward does have good taste. Speaking of taste," his fingers traced the cut on my arm, "you taste far better than you smell."

My legs gave out. Waves as nausea bubbled in my stomach and up into my throat. That explained where the cut came from and my overwhelming weakness. He supported my weight easily as he spoke again. "oh, come on Bella. You're no fun. But you should get used to this. You are mine now. I'm going to do things to you that Edward has only dreamed of doing." He laid me back down onto the bed.

My heart was sprinting in my chest. I remembered Edward's fears of trying to be intimate with me. Always so afraid that he would lose control and accidentally hurt me. Edward was always so restrained when it came to anything physical with me because he loved me. I realized that James didn't have those feelings about me and wouldn't feel the need to be so careful with my fragile body.

The flight instinct took over. I tried to scramble away from him. My attempt was pathetic; he held me easily with one hand. "Bella," he admonished. "Don't make me be rougher than I have to be. I don't want to kill you, but I will hurt you if you continue to fight me. Consider this a learning experience. You're about to experience firsthand what I expect from my pet."

He pressed his cold, hard body down onto mine and I shuddered. I couldn't move an inch. Just the weight of his body immobilized me. He caressed my cheek and I turned my head away from him. How dare he touch me like that. Like I was his lover. Maybe in his sick, twisted mind that's what I was. Never mind the fact that I wanted no part of this. Of him. Maybe he was deluding himself into thinking that I wanted him.

I could feel the hardness of his erection pressed against my thigh and my stomach heaved. He was going to take the only thing that I could have given to Edward that really mattered. The only thing that Edward and I were on equal footing with. Panic seized my mind. What if Edward didn't want me anymore when I was no longer pure? What if when they finally did find me, Edward turned away in disgust? The thought was almost to much to bear.

James turned my head and kissed me forcefully, simultaneously unbuttoning my jeans. He broke his kiss and sat up quickly yanking my pants of in one fluid motion. I tried to block out the present by concentrating on my memories. It was the one thing he couldn't take from me. I stiffened as I felt his fingers slide into me. He growled as I whimpered in pain. If his fingers hurt me then the rest would be torture.

He said, "You've never done this before, have you?"

I refused to answer. I wasn't giving him the satisfaction of knowing just how much he was taking from me.

He said, " I don't need you to answer the question, Bella. I can tell. That's just one more thing I get to take from Edward. I got you and now I'm going to get your innocence."

My eyes filled with tears. I'd never felt more helpless in my life. I was powerless to stop this. I trembled beneath him knowing that nothing I said or did was going to stray him from his goal. This sick, masochistic game he was playing.

Using his fingernails, he ripped my shirt away from my body, leaving a long bloody track across my stomach. For one brief moment, I felt a surge of hope. Maybe the blood would be too much. He did say that I was his singer. But then I remembered that he'd already pleasured himself with the taste of my blood. And yet here I laid sprawled under him, feeling dirty and used. Why was it that when I wanted to die, nothing ever happened to facilitate it?

James sucked noisily and greedily at the cut making sure he got every last drop of crimson liquid that he could. "Your blood tastes like a fine wine," he whispered as he moved down the length of my body, his freezing lips grazing my skin.

I started to panic, my heart fluttering in my chest. Never in my worst nightmares would I imagine that James would try what I knew that he was going to do. He wasn't going to leave me untouched in any way. He was going to spoil my virginity in every way possible. I was not going to sit still and allow this to happen. I resolutely decided that I was going to fight him. I didn't want him entertaining the idea that I was a willing participant in his games. The worst he could do was kill me, which wouldn't be so bad.

I started to get up, but before I'd even slide myself up into a sitting position he'd forced me back against the bed pressing against my stomach with just one hand. "Bella, you know you can't win. Why fight me? Can't you see how much I want you?" I replied, "All good things come to those who wait." He chuckled, "I'm not that patient. It most definitely isn't one of my many virtues. You… are… my… pet… Bella." He paused between each word for emphasis. "You are about to get a reality check, my dear, sweet tasting girl. I'll do what I want, when I want it. Never forget that. I will get what I want and what I need. And at this moment in time, that's you."

He began his journey once again. I tried once more to push myself from under his cold body. Suddenly his weight disappeared from me and he standing beside the bed. "Fine," he growled. "Have it your way. Be right back." He ghosted out of the room.

I had just enough time to stand up and wrap my exposed body in a sheet. I pressed myself against the far wall, wishing that I could just evaporate from this waking nightmare. He was back and he was angry. He had something black twisted around his hand. He said, "I can't risk you getting too gravely injured, Bella. I guess I'm going to have to protect you from yourself."

He moved so fast from my line of sight that he just vanished. He appeared out of thin air in front of me. Before I'd even sucked in one startled breath, he had my wrists in his stone grasp and was dragging me back to the bed. I was struggling with all of my might and yet his movements appeared effortless. "You see, Bella. This is totally pointless. But since you are going to force my hand." He pushed me down onto the bed cruelly, knocking the breath out of me. Before my mind had even reacted to what was happening, he had ripped away the sheet and tied my wrists to the bed. I looked up at my hands in terror. Silk scarves. Not tight enough to hurt my hands. I tested the bindings. Definitely too tight to escape from.

He stepped back to admire his handiwork. "My, my. That's a very sexy look. Erotic. It's turning me on even more, if that's possible. I should have thought of this a little earlier."

He ripped my bra off, breaking the straps and bruising my shoulders in the process. I gritted my teeth against the pain. I shuddered under his penetrating gaze. He just stared at my body with the most terrifying expression on his face. Pure unadulterated lust. I had ached for Edward to look at me like he was. Then to act on his desires and in the same breath to fulfill my own. It was so cruel that I had to endure this perversion of what I'd hoped to experience with Edward.

He moved toward me slowly, his eyes still glued to my trembling form. I wanted to cover myself again. I felt ashamed at being so exposed and vulnerable. I didn't know that it was possible to be visually raped. Then he said, "You are lovely, Bella. I'm really giving serious thought to eventually turning you and making you my mate." I replied, "What about Victoria? I thought she was your mate?" He laughed as he traced my thigh. I cringed away from his unwelcome touch. He said, "Victoria, hmmm. She was ever so useful sometimes. But I never cared for her." I didn't reply. Hell would freeze over before I'd ever want to be his mate. He was so callous about his feelings for his supposed mate. He'd basically just admitted that he'd used her. He was everything that Edward was not.

He stepped away from the bed and pulled off his jeans. My heart rate increased in terror. He was huge. He was going to rip me in half. I shut my eyes as he climbed on top of me. He whispered in my ear raising the hairs on the back of my neck in fear. "You will see, Bella. I can be gentle. Compassionate. Merciful. Now, where were we?"

He started at my mouth. Kissing his way down my body, his cold lips leaving chill bumps in their wake. He paused at my breasts and ran his icy tongue around my nipples. My tented peaks were throbbing from the force of his tongue and the coldness of his mouth. I was trembling violently by the time he reached my belly button.

Again, he slid his fingers into my soft core. He said, "You are very warm, Bella. I can only imagine what that is going to feel like. I've never done this with a human since I was turned. I guess this will be a first for both of us." He grasped my thighs, digging his fingers into my flesh to spread my legs apart. I let out a soft cry of pain. He probed my folds with his tongue. It was so cold. Like an ice cube. I was quivering with indignation. I tried to move my legs and he tightened his grip causing my bones to ache with protest. I swallowed the bile that had risen in my throat and bit my lip to keep from crying out loud. My useless tears leaked freely from my eyes soaking the sheets beneath me. I concentrated on remembering Edward's face. I was desperate to distract myself from the horrors of what he was doing to me.

He sat up and pulled my legs around his waist. I kicked his back and winced in pain as my heel made contact. It felt like kicking a brick wall. He chuckled darkly. "I told you that you were only going to hurt yourself." He crushed his lips to mine, forcing his tongue into my mouth. He said, "Can you taste how delicious you are? Absolutely mouthwatering."

I felt his erection pressed against my entrance. He leaned down to my ear. "Are you ready, Bella?" My mind shouted 'no' but panic caused me to choke on my cry. I felt my delicate skin tearing as he slowly pushed himself inside of me. I could feel every icy inch as he forced himself into me. He paused when he reached my barrier. Then he thrust deeply, breaking it. I bit my lip again, this time bringing blood to muffle my cries of agony. I didn't want to give him the pleasure of my pain. My lip wasn't the only thing that was bleeding. I could feel it leaking out of me, staining the bed beneath us.

Finding his rhythm, he attacked my mouth again so he could capture my blood. He groaned as I bit him as hard as I could. I might as well have bitten a rock. I didn't hurt him. On the contrary, it excited him further.

I laid there, wishing for death. I'd given up. My life as a pet would prove to be torture. There was pain everywhere in body. Suddenly, there was a searing pain in my right wrist. I opened my eyes to see James sucking on a fresh gash. Maybe he would just drain me dry. I was already weak. My vision started to get very blurry and my eyes rolled back in my head. James fisted his hand in my hair and pulled, painfully jerking me back into reality. He said, "You don't get off that easily. There is one more thing I want you to experience before you close those pretty, little eyes."

He pulled harder on my hair arching my back to press my body into him and giving him complete access to my neck. His nose drifted from my ear, along my chin, and to the hollow of my throat. He inhaled deeply and I knew this was it. He was going to kill me. He was so cruel. Why did he have to humiliate me before killing me? I pictured Edward's face in my mind one more time as he sank his teeth into my neck. The pain was immediate and excruciating. He began to drink and then mercifully the blackness enveloped me.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rated NC-17. If you're under 17, don't read any further.

Chapter 4

James POV

I left through the back door of the ballet studio. I couldn't chance encountering the Cullen's just yet. I wanted the meeting to happen on my terms and this place wasn't ideal. I knew that they were getting close. Call it what you will, but I get a sixth sense about such matters. It was the nature of my ability. I could always find what I wanted. But if I didn't want to be found all I had to do was go the opposite direction of whatever it was that I wanted. All I had to do was keep track of the Cullen's and move on when they were getting close.

I pushed the door open with my elbow. My hands were busy holding the lovely Bella. I hoped she stayed unconscious until I got her to my cabin. I didn't want to have to incapacitate her again. Not that I was adverse to the idea, but I had a lot in store for Bella and I didn't need to cause unnecessary damage.

I set her on the ground next to the wall. I needed a car. I flashed around the corner at top speed and stole the first vehicle I happened upon. Toyota Camry. It would do. It had a backseat that I could lay her down on. I wouldn't have to worry any curious onlookers and easily avoid suspicion.

I pulled up to the curb and hastily put Bella in the back. I hit her head on the door. Oops. Well maybe she'll stay out for longer now. I got in and quickly drove away. They were too close for comfort now. I pushed the pedal to the floor and shot onto the highway. I'd decided to take her to Colorado. I had a place there that was isolated enough to hole up in for awhile. A few hours, by daybreak, we'd be to the cabin. Then I could fulfill my plans. It was just as well that we got off the road before the sun came up. That damn pixie could ruin my plans if she got a glimpse of where we were. Her powers would aide the Cullen's greatly. I would just have to be that much more careful about when we traveled.

I shifted my thoughts back to what I intended to do with Bella. I wanted to mark her as mine in every way. Edward's protective nature toward her enraged me. They were our food. Nothing more. I couldn't fathom what he was thinking when he made her his girlfriend. On the other hand, the same held true for Bella as well. She knew what we were. That much I'd concluded. Yet she wanted to be with him. With them. Most humans stayed away from us That's why we have the weapons that we do. Beauty, strength, speed, smell, and of course venom. Our prey instinctively fear us. But not Bella. She was on a whole different level. She didn't fear the animal drinkers and that puzzled me more than Edward's infatuation with her. Every instinct in her body should have screamed at her to run but she didn't. Hell, she'd met me at that dance studio and she knew I was going to kill her. I couldn't figure her out.

Venom pooled in my mouth as I thought about the delicious taste of her blood. It was so sweet. Intoxicating. I rolled down the window to dissipate some of her scent that had permeated the car. I couldn't afford to lose control. Her life was central to my game. I couldn't kill her. Yet. By the time I was done with her, Miss Bella Swan would wish she were dead.

Several hours later, I parked the car on the edge of the woods. I pulled Bella out of the backseat, taking care not to hit her head again. I wanted her to awaken soon. I wanted her. She was mine and soon I would claim her as my own.

I ran through the forest quickly. I wanted to get her to the cabin before she woke up. I could tell she was starting to. She stirred in my arms and moaned once. I pushed open the door and set her on the bed. I had small houses like this one all over. I didn't stay at any of them for any length of time. I never cared to keep a human façade. I was by nature a wanderer. A nomad. The thrill of the hunt is what I existed for. I just needed a place to clean up from time to time. Now with Bella, my little residences would come in handy. They were all isolated and I needed to keep her away from prying eyes. And ears for that matter. She was bound to be loud sometimes when I played with her.

Speaking of playing, I hoped she woke up soon. I paced the front room impatiently. I couldn't wait for this. The thought of Bella's body pressed beneath mine made me hard in my jeans instantly. Then I heard a gasp from the other room. Perfect. She was awake. Just a little bit longer. I wanted her fully aware when I took her. This was going to be the most fun that I'd had in a long time.

After a short while, I decided it was time. I really couldn't wait any longer. I opened the door and entered the room. "Hello, Bella," I said in most charming voice. The voice I used while hunting my prey. I wanted to keep her calm for the time being. Like I said before, I didn't want to cause unnecessary damage. It wasn't like I could take her to the doctor.

Her heart rate spiked with fear and I shivered with delight. The movement was so slight that she couldn't detect it. Her blood would be far more potent when laced with adrenaline. I said, "Your coven has found my 'letter'. They are hunting for you just as I expected them to but they are no where even close. They don't even know what direction I took you out of Phoenix. I must confess, things are going better than I planned."

I crossed the room toward her ridiculously slowly. I wanted to draw this out for as long as possible. I stopped in front of her.

She whispered, "Please. Just kill me. Don't do this."

Ah, she knew what I was planning and yet she laid there calmly. What a strange human creature. I laughed pulling her to her feet. She looked down as I said, "Now why would I want to do that? You are so much more useful to me alive." I put my finger under her chin and tilted her head up so I could look into her eyes. I could easily get lost in them. "You are beautiful. Edward does have good taste. Speaking of taste," I traced the cut that I'd created on her arm with my fingers, "You taste far better than you smell."

Her knees buckled underneath her and I caught her before she fell supporting her weight. How melodramatic. What did she expect was going to happen? I said, "Oh, come on Bella. You are no fun. But you should get used to this. You are mine now. I'm going to do things to you that Edward's only dreamed of doing." I laid her back onto the bed gently.

I was deciding how to proceed when she tried to run from me. I was amused. Who did she think she was kidding? I grabbed her ankle and stopped her. "Bella. Don't make me be rougher than I have to be. I don't want to kill you, but I will hurt you if you continue to fight me. Consider this a learning experience. You're about to experience firsthand what I expect from my pet."

Oh, and I planned to educate her well. I pressed my body onto hers and I felt her shudder. Her warmth was intoxicating. I could feel it warming my skin through our clothing. The sensation was addictive. I was beginning to see what drew Edward to her. I caressed her cheek softly and she turned her head. I was hard already. God, I wanted her. I wanted to taste every inch of her warm, pulsating, and fragrant body.

I turned her head and kissed her, bruising her lips and marking her as mine. She'd look in the mirror and know it. I unbuttoned her jeans and broke my kiss to quickly pull them off. I was stunned. Her body was perfection. I felt her stiffen as I dipped my fingers inside her. I growled at the sensation. She was so warm and tight.

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. She was still a virgin. This would be her first time. I'd be her first. I said, "You've never done this before, have you?"

She didn't answer me. I said, "I don't need you to answer the question, Bella. I can tell. That's just one more thing that I get to take from Edward. I got you and now I'm going to get your innocence."

I was overjoyed as I watched her eyes fill with tears. She really would be mine in every way. The fact that she was untouched intrigued me. I can't imagine why Edward hadn't made love to her. She was beyond lovely and I felt certain that she'd give in to him. We can be so persuasive as a species.

I ripped open her shirt with my fingernails, scratching her stomach. My throat burst into a fireball of flames. Oops, again. Oh well. Waste not, want not. I sucked on the cut, pulling out as much of the sweet nectar as I could slightly quenching the burn in my throat. I whispered, "Your blood tastes like a fine wine." I was trailing down her body, my lips never leaving her scorching skin.

Her heart fluttered in her chest and I could tell by its reaction that she wanted this. Her mind might say no, but her body was betraying her. She started to get up and I pressed her back against the bed with my hand. "Bella," I said. "You know you can't win. Why fight me? Can't you see how much I want you?"

She said, "All good things come to those who wait."

I laughed at her. Was she serious? "I'm not that patient. It most definitely isn't one of my many virtues. You… are…my…pet…Bella." I paused between each word to get my point across. "You are about to get a reality check, my dear, sweet tasting girl. I'll do what I want, when I want. Never forget that. I will get what I want and what I need. And at this moment in time, that's you."

I started again, relishing her soft texture and she tried to push herself from under me again. Her defiance was wearing on me. If not for the fear that I'd damage her extensively, I'd just hold her down and have my way with her. I'd undoubtedly break something and I couldn't afford to do that.

I stood up quickly with a sudden inspiration. "Fine," I growled. "Have it you way. Be right back." I stalked out of the room. I went to the drapes in the front room and took the ties off of them. These were perfect. They wouldn't hurt her and would keep her from hurting herself.

I reentered the room. Bella was wrapped in a sheet against the far wall. She looked terrified. Good. I wanted her frightened now. She shouldn't have crossed me. She would do well to remember this for future reference. I said, "I can't risk you getting to gravely injured, Bella. I'm going to have to protect you from yourself."

I moved at my natural speed startling her when I stopped in front of her. I grabbed her wrists and pulled her back to the bed. She was struggling furiously. She was turning me on more as it was so easy to dominate her. I said, "You see, Bella. This is totally pointless. But since you are going to force my hand." I pushed her down on the bed roughly, yanked the sheet off of her, and tied her wrists to the headboard. All of this before she'd even had the chance to take a single breath.

I was careful not to tie her wrists too tightly. I didn't want her hands to fall off. I saw the terror register on her face as she took in what I'd done. She tested the bindings and I felt a stab of desire. I stepped back to see the whole display before me. Wow. I said, "My, my. That's a very sexy look. Erotic. It's turning me on even more, if that's possible. I should have thought of this a little earlier."

I pulled her bra off, not bothering to take it off properly. She deserved a some pain for her defiance earlier. I was unprepared for the sight of Bell's perfect form laid before me. She shuddered once and her blood rose in her cheeks. I'd never seen anything more desirable than Bella trussed up like she was waiting for me. I swallowed the venom that had pooled in my mouth in response to Bella's blush. Even though I'd just hunted in Phoenix, I really should have hunted before this.

I moved slowly and purposefully toward her, my eyes never leaving her trembling body. She was utterly delectable. I said, "You are lovely, Bella. I'm giving serious thought to eventually turning you and making you my mate." That would really send the Cullen's over the edge. But it wouldn't matter, I'd kill Edward when I finally let him catch us.

She said, "What about Victoria? I thought she was your mate?"

The question blindsided me. Why did she bring her up? I laughed, tracing her thigh with my fingers. I didn't miss her shrink away from my touch. I said, "Victoria, hmmm. She was ever so useful sometimes. But I never cared for her."

She looked indignant as I stepped away from the bed. Was she concerned for my ex? This girl was a mystery. I pulled off my jeans. Her heart started racing again and her eyes widened in fear. I could see it plastered all over her features. She shut her eyes as I hovered over her. I leaned down and whispered in her ear, "You will see, Bella. I can be gentle. Compassionate. Merciful. Now, where were we?" The hair raised on the back of her neck and I chuckled quietly, beyond the range of her hearing. I didn't want her to think I was a total tyrant.

I started at her succulent mouth, kissing and tasting my way down her body. She was delicious. Even her skin tasted heavenly. It took all of my willpower not to bite her and feast on her precious fluids. I paused at her perfect breasts. Her rose colored nipples hardened at my attentions and her body betrayed her again.

I moved on again and her trembling became more and more violent. I slid my fingers into her and once again I was surprised by her warmth and fragrance. I said, "You are very warm, Bella. I can only imagine what that is going to feel like. I've never done this with a human since I was turned. I guess this will be a first for both of us."

I'd have to be sure that I remembered myself while I was with Bella. This was not only going to be difficult because of the potency of her blood but also because she was incredibly breakable.

I grasped her milky thighs and pulled her legs apart. I could barely feel her resistance. It only caused my fingers to sink further into her flesh, She cried out in pain. I pushed my tongue into her soft core shuddering from the warmth that surrounded my mouth. She tasted divine. She tried to move her legs and I tightened my grip to the point that any tighter would shatter her bones. She would learn quickly that I won't be denied.

I sat up and pulled her legs around my waist. I could wait no longer. I had to be sheathed in her warmth. She kicked my back and winced in pain. I didn't even feel it. I laughed at her. You had to admire her spunk. I'd never be able to predict what she would do or how she'd react to things. I said, "I told you that you were only going to hurt yourself."

I kissed her again, pushing my tongue into her mouth so she could taste herself knowing it would revolt her. I said, "Can you taste how delicious you are? Absolutely mouthwatering." I wanted her to understand the sacrifice I was making to keep her alive.

I pressed myself against her wet sex and my cock twitched in anticipation. I leaned down to her ear and whispered, "Are you ready, Bella?" I didn't give her the chance to answer before I pushed into her.

The sensation was indescribable. She was so warm and tight. She felt as smooth and soft as velvet. I paused at her barrier. I didn't want to hurt her too badly. I couldn't totally abandon myself to pleasure like I normally would have. I thrust deeply once and felt it tear as I completely immersed into her flesh. Pleasure pulsed through my body.

Finding a rhythm that wouldn't cause any more damage to her, I turned my attention back to her lips. The bottom one was bleeding. I kissed her, sucking her blood. Ecstasy. Pleasure such as that as I'd never known coursed through my body. I'd never played with my food in this way. Satisfying two hungers at once. It was beyond mind blowing. Then she bit me. I shot further toward the edge. I gashed her wrist and took more of her blood. I knew I'd have to stop soon or I'd kill her.

I noticed that she was about to faint and I fisted my hand in her hair pulling on it roughly to bring her back to reality. I had one more thing that I wanted from Bella before I'd let her rest. I said, "You don't get off that easily. There is one more thing I want you to experience before you close those pretty, little eyes."

I pulled harder on her hair arching her back to press her body against mine. Her neck was fully exposed to me now. I'd decided to bite Bella after I stole her from the ballet studio. Not to turn her. To mark her as mine. That way, if by the unlikely chance Edward did get her back, he'd have to forever see my mark on her flesh. A reminder that he had failed. It would never go away. Even if she ever got turned, it would forever be a reminder of her time with me. I knew it was risky but I was confident I could suck the venom back out of her body.

I started at her ear, my nose drifting along her chin to the hollow of her throat. I inhaled deeply and the venom pooled in my mouth. So tantalizing. I swallowed the excess venom and sank my teeth into her supple flesh. I drank, pulling the venom out immediately as she lost consciousness. I came suddenly, the force of the orgasm surprising me, rocking me to my very core. Her blood tasted clean and I pushed myself off of her satisfied that she would survive.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Edward POV

I'd never felt so helpless or powerless in all of my very long life. We'd quickly followed their scent outside, through the rear exit of the dance studio. We followed it to the end of the alley to the curb, where it abruptly vanished. He must have gotten into some kind of vehicle. They'd just disappeared without a trace. I growled in frustration.

I said quietly, "Alice, can you see anything?"

She grew very still, her eyebrows furrowed with the intensity of her concentration. She rubbed her temple absentmindedly as if trying to coax the vision from her mind.

After a few moments she said, "All I can tell you is that they are in a car. It's too dark outside. I can't see any landmarks or any scenery. Ugh!! I feel so useless! None of that was any help at all!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose, growing more desperate by the second. I said, "Carlisle. What are we going to do? He's going to hurt her! How can we stop him?" I was close to having an all out panic attack now. My beautiful Bella. My one and only love. She would never forgive me for this.

Carlisle looked thoughtful for a moment. He blocked his thoughts from me, which wasn't an encouraging sign. He said, "Well, the first thing that we need to do is get back to Forks."

I glared at him. I would not go home without Bella by my side, where she belonged. I started to argue. "But Car…"

He cut me off. "No, Edward. We have to go back. No one knows that we were ever here. Bella is going to be a missing person in the eyes of the law now. We cannot be implicated in her disappearance. If we stand any chance of finding her at all, we cannot be under suspicion. It will seriously hinder any attempt to get to her if the humans are watching us. Not to mention the fallout that could happen if the Volturi got wind of this. I want to get her back as much as you do, Edward. But without some clues, we have no idea where to start."

Carlisle was right, of course. He was always the voice of reason. I was suddenly grateful to have his presence in my life. He truly was a father to me and right now I needed the comfort he gave to me. He had centuries of experience and I knew if anyone could help us get Bella back, Carlisle could. We retrieved the car and started the long journey home.

Alice POV

Bella, my sweet little sister and best friend, was in serious danger. I was so frightened for her. The terror she must be suffering from at this moment was unbearable to contemplate. I searched through the future desperately for anything that could be of importance. All I needed was one clue. A street sign. A familiar building. Anything. One measly thing and we could go to her. Save her from the torment he was surly going to inflict upon her. I'd gladly give up shopping for a year just for her to be safe, back with our family where she belonged.

All I was getting was James moving through a forest. He was carrying Bella in his arms and she still looked unconscious. That worried me a great deal. I'd never been to medical school like Edward or Carlisle, so I didn't really know how long was too long for a human to be knocked out. I was grateful that she was unconscious though. She wasn't frightened just yet. It infuriated me that we were not there to protect her.

I was barely aware of time passing. We must have been halfway back to Forks when it hit me like a freight train. I was seized with terror as my newest vision played out. I vaguely heard Jasper in the background asking what was wrong. He cared so much about me.

I blocked my mind. Deck the halls with bells of holly… Edward couldn't see this. Shouldn't. It would drive him into madness. James kissing Bella. Fa-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la…Tying her up. Tis the season to be jolly… Performing the most intimate of acts. Fa-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la…Bleeding her again. Troll the ancient Yule-tide carol…Then, oh my God. He bit her!

Emotion rolled off of me in waves and I worried about how it was affecting my love. Everyone's emotions sometimes bothered him far more than he ever let on. Edward was furious, screaming at me for blocking my mind. I felt the lock on my thoughts slipping as my vision concluded with Bella's eyes closing. I wasn't sure if she was dead or changing. Grief racked my body as I thought about the torture just inflicted upon my sister. I sobbed loudly against Jasper's chest. Edward shook me roughly, jarring me from my grief. I was exhausted. My visions were mentally and physically draining. I knew I couldn't keep him out for much longer. I braced myself for the onslaught as the last wall crumbled from my mental barrier.

Edward POV

I was struck with grief and overpowering fear. My mind was overcrowded by the unpleasant things that could be happening to her. The sheer hatred I felt for James rivaled the intensity of love that I felt for Bella. I was going to tear him limb from limb, leaving his head for the very last so that he could watch as I obliterated his body from the face of the earth.

I focused my mind on the thoughts of my family desperately trying to distract myself from grief I was wallowing in.

Carlisle. I don't know how I'm going to break the news to Esme. This is going to kill her. Bella is already a daughter to us. It'll be like losing her son all over again. Poor Bella. I'm not sure how to handle her once we do recover her. This is going to traumatize her to no end.

Emmett. I'm going to annihilate that son of a bitch. Who does he think he is? How dare he lay one hand on my little sister. I'll twist off one finger at a time so he can never touch her again. What is Rose going to think about this? I know she doesn't like Bella that much but maybe this will help them get closer.

Jasper. What is wrong with Alice. She's not responding to me. Whatever she's seeing must be horrific.

The emotions coming from her are overwhelming. Grief, loss, terror, anguish, love, rage. My influence isn't calming her at all.

That shook me to my core. What was she seeing? I trained my mind on hers. Damn it. She was singing Christmas carols. I started panicking. If she was blocking me it was really bad.

I yelled at her. "Alice! Stop blocking me! What do you see? If it's about Bella, I have to know. You're torturing me!"

She turned into Jasper's chest wailing so loudly that the car windows rattled in protest. I shook her roughly, jarring her back to the present. She shuddered once and her mental dam broke letting out a flood of horrible images.

James kissing Bella. Tying her up. Violating her. Bleeding her. Then what he did to her next would have stopped my dead heart had it been beating. He bit her. He… bit… her. My rage and grief consumed me.

"No! This can't be happening!," I whispered.

I slumped in my seat exhausted. I didn't have the energy to stay upright. I barely heard Alice as she choked out what she'd saw to the rest of our family. All of my thoughts were with my sweet and innocent Bella. I didn't know if she was even alive. Who was I kidding? He'd bitten her. If she wasn't dead, she was changing. Either way, her life was snatched from her.

I resolved right then and there, that I'd be there for her if we found her. No, not if. When we found her. I held onto the hope that he didn't kill her. It wasn't the life I'd wanted her to have but it was better than no life at all.

But could she ever forgive me for letting this happen to her. I loved her with every fiber in my being. I'd take the pain from her if I could. Guilt flooded my conscience threatening to drown me. I hadn't protected her. I let that demon walk right into our lives and snatch her from right under our noses. I should have never come back to Forks. I should have stayed in Alaska when I left the first time.

Slowly, I calmed down. "Alice, is she going to be okay? Tell me that she not gone forever." My voice broke at the end. I hadn't felt this human in a eighty years. She was the world to me and without her nothing here could hold my interest.

Alice scrunched up her nose. Her eyes glazed over as she focused on the scenes in her head. "I can't tell," she said finally. "All I'm getting are short flashes. Nothing looks very concrete. She doesn't look like she's in any pain… but that doesn't mean anything. She is breathing, so he didn't kill her. But I also don't see her as a vampire yet either. Hmm… that's strange."

I said, "Carlisle, how is that possible? If he bit her and didn't kill her, shouldn't she be a vampire?"

Carlisle looked at me from the rearview mirror. He said, "Theoretically, it's possible if the bite is clean and fairly shallow that any venom injected into the blood stream could be sucked back out preventing the change from occurring."

Emmett said, "Why did he bite her at all if he's not going to change her or kill her?"

Carlisle answered, "He's marking her, Emmett. It's a method of control. His teeth will forever be etched into her flesh. Every day, she'll be reminded of him and what he did to her. It will remind her to never push the boundaries that he will set for her. I'm afraid that Bella may never recover from this. His intentions are far worse than we could have ever anticipated. We may rescue her only to find that she doesn't want to be rescued. He's trying to reprogram her, to break her bonds to this family. It's his goal to utterly destroy this family. Bella is the heart and soul of this family and that is why he took her."

What Carlisle said made absolute sense. The only thing that didn't make sense was why. What had we done that warranted such hatred? More importantly, what had Bella done? I knew the answer to that question. She had fallen in love with me. There was no escaping the fact that this whole mess was my fault and mine alone and I had absolutely no idea how to fix it.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

James POV

I relaxed next to Bella on the bed feeling very pleased with myself. Apparently, I was more self-controlled than I thought I was. True, I had drained more of her blood than I'd intended, but her heartbeat was strong and steady. It was actually perfect in a way. She'd be too weak when she woke up to fight with me of try to run away. I would catch her without a doubt. I had her scent. She could never hide from me now. It would just be better for her. The only thing that could come from any escape on her part was injury.

I looked over her still form, pleased with what I saw. Overall she was in better shape than I'd thought she'd be in. Apart from the bite on her neck, the only other visible damage was some bruising. The inside of her thighs, around her wrists, and her lips were all bruised. Of course, she'd also bled a little bit. But that was to be expected. She had been a virgin.

I wondered what the Cullen's thought about the whole situation. They were probably out of their minds with rage by now. I knew Alice would have seen what had happened. Her talent was amazing. It would aide the Cullen's in finding us if I wasn't careful when we traveled. But I could also use her talent to my advantage when it came to the final confrontation. I would be able to bring them to where I wanted. That would be essential to my survival. I was good, but not that good. I chuckled at the irony of it all. Alice was the only prey that had ever escaped from me. But that didn't matter because I had the better prize now.

Although Alice had smelled amazing before that old fool had turned her, Bella smelled even better. I looked over at her once again. She was still asleep. I would make her clean herself up when she woke up. The smell of dried blood was clinging to her. It wasn't as tempting as fresh blood but I couldn't afford to lose control right now. I wouldn't be able to feed from her for quite some time. I wanted to keep her alive, after all. Her death wasn't apart of my game, just yet.

I'd already decided that I was going to turn her someday. It just wasn't going to be in the near future. I had to break her bonds to the Cullen's first. That was going to take some finesse. She was bonded to them in a way that I didn't understand. Hell, I didn't even understand how they were bonded to each other. They called themselves a family. Family was something foreign to me. I'd never had a family such as it were. I'd grown up as an orphan. It was every man for himself. Then, after I'd started this life, I never ran across more than three vampires at a time together. Even those vampires were not bonded in the way that the Cullen's were. It disgusted me. We were not meant to have families in this life. It made you weak. The Cullen's were weak in that aspect and I planned to exploit that weakness to the fullest extent. Bella was integral to their family and it would destroy them when they came for her and she was my mate. And I was going to do everything in my power to make that happen.

Bella POV

I felt like I was numb. My arms and legs felt so heavy. I opened my eyes slowly. Everything was blurry, unfocused. I was confused. Was I dead? No, I couldn't be. Death couldn't be this painful. Pain racked my entire body. I screwed my eyes shut once more as the guilt and shame descended upon me. Then overwhelming terror.

I could sense him sitting next to me and I wasn't ready to look at him yet. He had… raped me. I forced myself to think the word. Edward and I were on unequal footing more than ever now. I shivered involuntarily and then tensed when I felt his hand on my shoulder. I sucked in my breath quickly as fear coursed through my aching body.

He laughed, "Don't worry, love. My needs are satisfied for now."

I cringed when he used Edward's pet name for me. Was there anything that he wouldn't steal from us? I knew the answer was a resounding no. He would take until there was nothing left to take.

He said, "There's a bathroom through that doorway. I want you to clean yourself up while I'm gone. I have to hunt and get some things for you. Do not be tempted to leave, Bella. I will find you and then I will punish you. If you so much as touch the doorknob, I will know." With that, he left the room.

I laid there for a bit longer after he left. I wanted to be sure that he was gone. I slowly sat up. My body hurt so bad. There wasn't one spot on me that wasn't aching. I stood up and immediately sat back down. Wow. I was so dizzy and weak. I'd lost too much blood. I was angry suddenly. How the hell did he think I could escape when I had a hard time moving across a small room? I stood up once again and stumbled to the bathroom.

I looked in the mirror ashamed of myself. I felt so dirty and used. I could still feel his hands on my body. I wanted to erase the past few days. I wrapped my arms around myself. I was cold. I'd give anything just to see Edward right now. To have him hold me and chase all the bad thoughts away. Who was I trying to fool? Edward probably wouldn't want me anymore. I was damaged goods.

A small sob escaped my lips. I clamped my hand over my mouth afraid that James would hear me wherever he was. I didn't want him to come back. I cried silent tears for what had happened. I loved Edward but now I wasn't good enough for him. He deserved someone that was pure and James had stolen that from me.

I looked in the mirror again. My face was unnaturally pale. I could pass for one of them. My lips were slightly puffy and a light shade of blue. James wasn't as careful with his 'kisses' as Edward was. I touched the mark on my throat, gently. I hissed. God, that hurt. I could feel my heartbeat in the wound. I wondered how I was still alive and not a vampire after being bitten. I wished that Carlisle was here. He would know the answer.

I sat on the toilet and I started crying again as I went to the bathroom. It stung so bad. It felt like lemon juice on a paper cut. I examined the bruising on my thighs. I knew from Edward that it could have been so much worse. I wasn't grateful though. I wished that James had killed me. He only left me alive so he could hurt my family more. My thoughts drifted to Charlie and Renee. They must be so worried. I hoped that they could move on with their lives if I never returned. I had the feeling that I wouldn't be getting out of this alive.

I got in the shower and sat on the cold bottom of the bathtub. I didn't feel like I could stand for any longer. I let the water pour on me as I scrubbed my skin furiously. It didn't matter. No matter how many times I washed myself, I still felt dirty. I gave up and sat under the spray until the water turned cold. I turned off the water and dried myself off.

I wrapped myself in the sheet since James had unceremoniously destroyed my clothes. I stepped out of the bedroom cautiously. There were only two other rooms in this place. A kitchen and a living room. I walked to the window. It was dusk outside. Twilight. I felt a pang as I thought of Edward and that first time he'd taken me home from school. All I could see was trees. It didn't look any different than Forks. I knew that James wouldn't have brought me there.

I looked around for a phone hoping that I could call for help even if I didn't know where I was. It was a wasted effort. Like James would leave me here with a phone. I looked at the front door once, but I didn't chance it. I was weak and naked and no doubt I wouldn't get very far. And he would find me. Somehow I knew his threats were not a bluff. Feeling exhausted, I laid back on the bed, dreading his return.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Edward POV

We reached Forks by nightfall. Not that I cared. My thoughts were all with Bella and what she must be going through. I didn't ask Alice again if she'd seen anything. I knew she would tell me if she had.

We drove past Bella's house. It had been over a week since Bella had left Forks. Over a week since I'd put her life in the gravest of dangers. And for what reason? Because I was too weak to stay away from her. I cursed myself inwardly again. She shouldn't have ever been put into this situation.

I could hear Charlie speaking to someone from the confines of the house. I gathered from the tenor of the thoughts in his head that he was speaking to Renee on the phone. She was in Phoenix looking for Bella. She was reporting Bella missing. Grief raced through my unyielding flesh. This was tearing them apart as much as it was us.

We reached the house and I trudged upstairs. I couldn't face Esme and Rosalie at this moment. I sat on my couch and stared at the wall. My world was in shambles. I didn't know if I'd ever see my love again. I was also frustrated in the lack of progress that we had made. So far all we'd managed to do was evade suspicion. Meanwhile, my love was being tortured possibly into insanity. I knew that there was only so much that the human mind could take before it began to crack. Bella was brave and strong but she was only human. Another pang of regret washed through my conscience. If I'd just succumbed to my most basic desire, to have Bella by my side for all eternity, she wouldn't be with that monster right now. She'd have been an equal with us and able to protect herself. But I had foolishly believed that she didn't deserve to have her human life snatched from her. Even if it was what she wanted. I believed that she deserved so much more than what this life had to offer her. In my stupidity and stubborn refusal to see reason, I'd subjected her to a fate worse than death. Knowing the crimes that he had perpetrated against her person sent me into a downward spiral of guilt, shame, and more self loathing. If I hadn't been so thick headed this could have been avoided. The very real possibility of losing her had me more frightened than I'd ever been before in my life.

Alice POV

I sank down onto the sofa when we got into the house. Although I couldn't ever sleep, I was exhausted. My visions were emotionally and physically draining. I was still searching the future desperately. It was going to be up to me when it came to knowing where to go. My visions of Bella were always a little bit hazy because Bella was human and I saw my own kind the best. But never before had I come up a total blank. It made me suspicious. Could this James character know about my visions and how they worked. It was disturbing because I was certain that I'd never met him before. He'd have no reason to know about my ability. If he did indeed know we were in for a long, difficult road ahead.

Jasper was trying to comfort me. He rubbed soothing circles on my back. I sighed. "Thanks, Jasper. I love you. I can't imagine what Edward must be going through. If I ever lost you…" I trailed off. I was getting brief flashes of the future. Not of Bella. Of him. He was checking her over. At least he was decent enough to make sure she wasn't too injured. She was still unconscious. She was bruised, a little battered, but physically she looked okay.

I relaxed a little. She was okay for now. Another flash. This one was not as clear which meant that it was sometime well into the future. Bella was screaming. Bella with red eyes. Newborn.

Edward had raced down the stairs with a grief-stricken look on his face. "No, Alice! That can't be true!"

Edward POV

I was still on the couch when I heard Alice's thoughts. She'd had another vision. It was him. That worthless excuse for a vampire. He was checking Bella over. She looked bruised and battered but nothing life threatening. I guess he'd successfully sucked his venom out of her system. I exhaled a sigh of relief. At least she wasn't hurt too badly.

I gasped audibly as I heard what she saw next. Not her. Not by him. They'd be inextricably linked for eternity if he did that. I raced down the stairs. "No, Alice. That can't be true."

She said, "I'm sorry, Edward. He's already made the decision. The only thing that I can tell you is that there is still hope. The vision was incredibly fuzzy which means that we have time. He has decided to change her but not in the very near future. We can find her before he does it but we have to get some kind of evidence where they are. I'm almost convinced that James knows about my ability. He seems to be taking extra care to travel only at night. I have not seen any street signs or any distinguishing landmarks. I don't believe that it is a coincidence. He knows. I just don't know how."

I turned to Carlisle, who had just come from his study upstairs. "What can we do? How do we start looking?"

He pondered for a moment. He said, "This is going to be delicate, Edward. Especially if what Alice said is true. I think she's right. James has some knowledge of her ability. We have to figure out who we can trust and who we can't when we ask for help. And we will need help. Until he makes a mistake and Alice sees where he is. That is also a concern. If he knows how her visions work, it won't be too hard for him to lure us into a trap. We'll have to be extra cautious. Then, there is also the problem of the Volturi. They must not find out about Bella. That would be an automatic death sentence. She is still human and she knows too much. That and she smells way too good."

He fell silent for a moment before continuing. "We'll make a list and contact those that we can trust implicitly. We'll let them know who and what we are looking for. It will help to have more eyes out there. We'll also do some research on the internet. We'll look at property records. If he owns any real estate chances are that he could be nearby. It will be the best we can do under these circumstances."

Alice immediately went to the computer with Rosalie and started researching. The rest of us went with Carlisle to the dining room to make a list of contacts. I could tell from the thoughts of my family that we would never rest until Bella was safe with our family where she belonged.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Bella POV

I laid on the bed lost in my own thoughts. I wondered how long this little game that James was playing would last. Edward had told me that James was a tracker. I wasn't entirely sure what that meant exactly but from what Edward had explained, I knew that even if I miraculously escaped from James it would be easy for him to find me again. I hoped that Alice's visions would help lead my family to where James had taken me but I knew she would need to see more than just a house in the middle of a forest.

My stomach growled and I sighed. I was starving. I didn't know when the last time was that I had eaten. Suddenly I laughed. I must be seriously losing my mind to laugh at a time like this. But I was thinking that I was becoming like them while I was still human. Time had ceased to mean anything to me. I didn't even know what day of the week it was much less how long it had been since James had taken me.

"Bella?"

I jumped, startled by his voice.

Shit!

I didn't even hear him come in.

I didn't look at him. He crossed the room toward me and I shut my eyes fearing what I thought was coming.

"Look at me, Bella!", he demanded grabbing my wrists with his cold hands and pulling me to my feet.

I complied and stifled a gasp. His eyes were a brilliant shade of ruby. I'd never seen eyes that red before. He must have just fed. I shuddered.

He said, "I will tolerate no disrespect from you. You will acknowledge me when I speak to you. You are mine now. I will expect you to treat me as such. Your superior."

I kept my eyes trained on his while he was speaking no matter how badly I wanted to look away. At this point I didn't know if I could look away. I was transfixed, frozen to the spot.

He said, "Good girl. Now, I know that you are hungry. Eat."

He let go of my wrists and the blood rushed painfully back to my fingertips. I hadn't noticed he was holding them so tightly. I was too mesmerized by his eyes. Even though the red color frightened me, I couldn't help staring at their scarlet depths. I couldn't move when I looked into his eyes like that. It was like I was paralyzed. Maybe it had something to do with his diet. Edward's gaze always left me breathless but I was never just frozen to the spot.

I was repulsed by the idea that James could use his powers as a predator to draw me to him. Would I be able to resist him? I wanted to think so. I looked at the bag sitting on the bed. It was the food that James had brought in with him. I was hungry but I was wary. I didn't think he would try to poison me. He wanted me alive. Besides, that wasn't his style at all. If he wanted me dead, he would just drain me dry.

I forced down half of the sandwich and part of the soup. I laid back down on the bed feeling utterly drained. I laughed again at my dry humor. Maybe I really was losing it. It wasn't amusing at all that I had become a vampire's chew toy.

I closed my eyes forcing all of my terrible thoughts away. I wanted an escape from the nightmare that was my reality. I was thinking about my bronze haired angel and how much I missed him. I hoped he wasn't suffering as much as I was. He didn't deserve the pain that I had caused him. I finally drifted off to sleep with images of his beautiful face dancing in my mind.

James POV

I could tell when Bella finally fell asleep. I hadn't heard a single sound come from her room until she did. That was when I heard her moan. What the hell? I opened the door, curious.

Her face looked frightened. Then she spoke. "James…Don't…Let me die…" She talked in her sleep. Well, that was amusing. She started thrashing wildly around on the bed.

I looked around franticly. I was worried. What if she hurt herself? I touched her shoulder hoping to wake her from her nightmare. All she did was moan again. What should I do? I was out of practice at this human business. I'd been alive for much too long and didn't actively associate with humans other than the hunt for centuries.

I did the only thing I could think of. I laid next to her on the bed and pulled her trembling form into my arms. She quieted immediately and smiled. If my heart were still alive it would have burst. The emotion that was coursing through my unchanging body. What was it? I'd never felt anything so powerful before. I think it was love. It all clicked together at once. Like the lost piece to a jigsaw puzzle, Bella came into my life and completed the picture.

I was stunned. I was in love with this human girl. She had bewitched me. I looked at her sleeping form. Her face had smoothed, all of her terror from before erased. Whatever dream she had been having was over. She sighed and then mumbled one word. "Edward."

Anger such as that I'd never known coursed through my granite body. Or was it jealousy? It didn't matter really. My girl was dreaming about someone else. I would have to make her forget him. Not only that, I'd have to be on my best behavior from now on. I couldn't expect her to be very receptive if I continued to force myself on her. Just remembering that first time made my cock twitch in my jeans. No. I couldn't have her again until she was ready.

But I could be charming when it suited my needs. Then there was that irresistible lure that humans felt for us. I'd used it the previous night when I'd made her submit to me. Yes. I'd use that some more. Even if she knew what I was doing, she'd be pulled in. Yes. I had a plan. I contented myself with holding her through the night. She was worth the wait. My Bella.

Bella POV

I awoke slowly. I was so weak feeling. My mind felt like it was detached from my body. I felt like I was weighted down. Even my eyelids felt like they weighed a hundred pounds a piece. Then the realization hit me. Something cold was against my back. No, not something but somebody. Cold arms were wrapped around my body holding me close to his frigid form.

James.

I gasped and started trembling. I couldn't go through that again.

He said, "Shhh, love. You had a bad dream. This was the only thing that would calm you down." He released me. I looked at him, confused. Why did he care? It was ironic in a way. He was the source of my nightmares and yet he felt the need to comfort me. Why? I was immediately suspicious. I searched his face for his unspoken motive. Everything he did benefited him in some way.

He had the same look on his face that Edward had when he looked at me. Could it be that he had actual feelings for me? I was shocked by that thought. There was no question where my loyalties were. My heart belonged to Edward even though, for now, my body belonged to James.

I shuddered at the last thought. The enormity of it all was hard for me to grasp. But if that was how he felt, and that was a big if, maybe I could use his emotions to work in my favor. It was worth a shot. Doing something was better than doing nothing.

I laid there feeling awkward with this newfound realization. He was still laying there staring at the ceiling as still as a statue. I was still pondering what to do when he interrupted my thoughts.

"We have to move on, Bella. We've been here long enough. I'm thinking, when we get settled again, that we'd go shopping. Get you some suitable clothes."

Then he looked over at me and winked. All of my coherent thoughts left me leaving me addled. What the hell? Then he smiled and left the room.

I shook my head, clearly dazed. Did I just get dazzled by James? What was wrong with me? I mean, that man had kidnapped and raped me. I was so sure that he couldn't use that particular power on me. Damn vampires and their irresistible lure. It made me uneasy. What if he could dazzle me into things that I really didn't want? I felt like a puppet on a string with James at the controls, manipulating my every move. It was the most disconcerting thought yet.

He returned. "Get dressed. It's time to go." He handed me some clothes and left the room. Like I needed the privacy. He'd already seen it all. Bastard. But I got dressed reveling in the sensation of being clothed again. I'd been wrapped in the sheet since that night. He opened the door again. "Come on, Bella. Lets go."

We stepped outside. It was twilight. Again. The little cabin was completely surrounded by a thick forest. It looked a lot like Forks. He said, "I'm going to have to carry you for a while until I can get us a car."

I didn't like the thought of being so close to his face, but I didn't fight him when he picked me up. That was a useless fight. I decided to pick my battles carefully. I knew the only ones that I could ever win against him would be mental.

He sped through the forest and I shut my eyes. It still made me sick to see the scenery flashing by so quickly. Suddenly we stopped. I opened my eyes and he let me down. We crossed the street and walked for a couple of blocks. He stopped at a bench beside a park. "Stay here for a minute. Don't get any ridiculous ideas. I will find you quickly and the consequences will be severe. Don't do something that I'll make you regret later."

Ahh…We were back to the threats. Surprisingly his threats didn't scare me as much as when he was being nice to me. He left me there on the bench and he disappeared around the corner. I sat there debating. I didn't know how long he would be gone. Evidently, he was testing me. I decided to stay put. I still felt weak and this was hardly the opportune moment. I'd have to carefully plan my escape. I would very likely only get one chance. If I failed, he would either kill me or make sure that I never got another chance. I'd use this opportunity to start to gain his trust. Coupled with the fact that I knew he had some kind of feelings for me that I could work to my advantage. I just wasn't sure that I'd be able to act like I had the same feelings for him. I couldn't lie to save my life.

Less than two minutes later, he pulled up in a black car. He rolled down the window. "Get in."

I got into the car and he drove off. I didn't bother asking him where we were going. He wouldn't tell me anyway. The street signs flashed by rapidly and I found myself getting drowsy again. I wanted to stay awake so that I would have some idea where we were at. I struggled for a few minutes before I finally sunk into blissful unawareness.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Bella POV

I awoke with a jolt of unease. Arms were wrapped around my body lifting me from my seat. James. I stiffened and looked around trying to get my bearings. It looked like a motel. He carried me through a doorway and deposited me onto a bed.

He said, "Sorry about the accommodations, it was the best that I could do before dawn."

I just stared at him. The only place that I wanted to be was at my own house or at the Cullen's. I didn't voice my feelings though. It would only make him angry. Instead I asked, "Why don't we ever travel during the day? I would think that since you don't have to sleep, we would travel constantly to keep far away from the Cullen's."

His eyes glinted dangerously in response to my question. They were not as bright as they had been previously but they were still a disturbing shade of crimson. I'd grown quite attached to the soft amber tones that the eyes of the Cullen family possessed.

Suddenly, he laughed. I was confused. He said, "Your facial expressions are really quite amusing sometimes. I never did spend much time around humans other than to hunt and your reactions to things catch me off guard. But before I answer your question I have one for you. What makes you think that I'm trying to stay away from the Cullen's? Did you ever consider that I might want them to catch us eventually?"

I had no answer to his questions. It didn't seem logical that he wanted them to catch up. He would surely be destroyed. Maybe that was what he really wanted. I couldn't understand why he would feel that way. I also didn't know why I even cared. The man haunted my nightmares, had broken my body, and stolen my purity. Even after all of that, I felt sorry for him. I was more confused than ever.

He sat there staring at me for a moment. I felt incredibly self conscious. I didn't like it when he looked at me like that. Like he could see my inner conflict.

He said, " Even though you didn't answer my questions, I'll answer yours. We can't travel during the day because we would be leaving too many breadcrumbs for your friend Alice."

I was shocked. He knew about Alice. I regained my composure and said, "I didn't know that you knew Alice."

He laughed again. He replied, "Yes, Bella. Does it surprise you that I know all about the Cullen's secret weapon? I might want the Cullen's to find us, but not before I'm ready for them to. Anyway, I knew Alice before she was turned. She was the only prey to ever escape me. I would have gotten her if it hadn't been for that idiot who was so infatuated with her. I will never understand why some vampires become so enamored with their food. He stole her from that hospital in the middle of the night and turned her to protect her from me. I destroyed him in a fit of rage. I'd never been denied before. It was her gift that got her imprisoned in that mental hospital to begin with."

I was stunned at his frankness. I wanted more than ever to survive now. To get back to Edward and Alice. She surely knew nothing about this. She said that she awoke alone with no memory of her human life. I could give her this small detail. If I died, she would never know.

I looked up at him still trying to process my thoughts. He was staring at me again. It made me uncomfortable. I was afraid that he would hurt me again. Rape me again. I didn't think I could survive if he did that again. It was still killing me from the inside out. My eyes locked with his red ones. They were really quite sinister, but they had a hypnotic quality to them. I wanted to look away but I couldn't. It reminded me of that day with Edward in biology. The first day that I had looked into his eyes. The thought of him sent a spasm of pain shooting through my body but I couldn't escape from his gaze.

I felt myself drawn to James again. I couldn't help it. He moved closer to me. I wanted to move away but at the same time I didn't want to. I was frozen to the spot. I knew that he was influencing me, using his predatory skills against me but I still couldn't move.

He pulled me to my feet. My mind shrieked at my body, willing it to move away from James' advances. All I could do was stand there.

"Bella," he whispered gently. His lips touched mine hesitantly. He was testing me, gauging my reaction. I didn't reject him. I didn't want to. What the devil was wrong with me? He deepened his kiss and I let him. Edward had never kissed me like this. He considered me too fragile. I broke away from him, gasping fro air. What just happened?

James POV

I drove for hours into Canada. We had to stay where it was relatively cloudy. Alaska wouldn't do. I knew about the Denali coven and their connections to the Cullen's. So I settled on Canada for now. I'm thinking Europe the next time we moved on. I have not decided yet.

Bella had fallen asleep before we'd even left town. She was still weak and was sleeping a lot. I felt bad about that since I was responsible for her lack of energy. All of these feelings were brand new to me. I had never felt bad about what I was before but I did regret feeding from Bella. I wanted her to be my counterpart, my companion. But I had caused a lot of damage. It was going to take some time and persuasion, not to mention a lot of patience on my part to convince her to be mine.

I can be very persuasive. I usually get what I want. I had an infinite amount of time. Patience was a whole other matter. My usual method was to take what I wanted. I'd already made that mistake once with Bella. I wanted Bella to want me. I wanted her to choose me. I didn't want to force her. Besides, when I turned her she would be much stronger than me for awhile. If she wanted to leave, I wouldn't be able to stop her. Hell, she'd be able to tear me apart in she were so inclined. I had to bond her to me while she was still human.

Obviously, even if she did leave I could find her. I was a tracker after all. But I didn't want her to leave. My feelings surprised me. I didn't realize I could feel this much for anyone. I cared for Victoria, but I never loved her. I had not had any contact with her since the ballet studio. We had been together for decades but I didn't even miss her. The only one that I needed was asleep in the seat next to me.

I stopped at a motel hours later. It looked sleazy but it was getting to light outside. It was dangerously close to morning. I left her in the car and went to pay for a room. She was sound asleep. I returned to the car and opened her door. I was picking her up when she woke up. I felt her stiffen and she looked around wildly.

I carried her through the door and sat her down on the bed. I decided now was a good time to start trying to forge a bond between the two of us. This was going to take some time and I couldn't avoid the Cullen's forever. It was my greatest hope that when they did catch up she would not want to leave. I knew that they would respect her wishes. It would be difficult though. The bond that she had already forged with Cullen's was very strong. Especially with Edward.

I apologized for the room. She deserved a much better place. She didn't say anything about the room but she did ask about our travel arrangements. I didn't answer her right away. Instead I asked her my own questions.

"What makes you think that I'm trying to stay away from the Cullen's? Did you ever consider that I might want them to catch us eventually?"

I watched the emotions playing across her face. The first seeds of our bond had been sown. She had misunderstood my words. She thought I meant that I wanted them to find us so that I could die. She didn't know that I was going to lure them into a trap. She thought that I wanted to die and she felt sorry for me.

I was elated. My plan was going to work. I could feel it. I was already manipulating her emotions. It wouldn't be long at all. Then I decided to answer her original question. I was going to be truthful. She already didn't trust me thanks to my previous actions.

I told her in not so many words that I knew about Alice. She was shocked to say the least. I could tell that she'd been holding onto the hope that Alice would see something and they would come to the rescue. I explained to her how I knew Alice. I knew that telling her some things about my past would draw her to me even more. I needed to spark her interest. Intrigue her.

I ratcheted up the magnetic power I used when drawing my prey to me. She was my prey really. In an entirely different sense though. I held her in my gaze, refusing to release her.

She sat entranced as I drew closer to her. I pulled her to her feet and leaned my face towards hers. I could see her inner conflict in her eyes. She felt something and loathed herself for it.

"Bella," I whispered before pressing my lips to hers. I was hesitant. I didn't know how well I'd drawn her in. She didn't pull away. Victory. I kissed her more deeply and she allowed it. I felt a tiny twinge of guilt that I had manipulated her but it was necessary. I'd make her forget about the Cullen's. She would see that I was what she needed and wanted. All she needed was a push in the right direction.

She broke away, gasping for air. I wanted to throw her on the bed and take her right then and there but I controlled myself. I was going to take it slow. I released her.

She looked at me, the questions flashing in her eyes. I smiled and winked at her. She blushed a deep shade of crimson. Venom flooded my mouth at the sight of her delicious color. It made her scent that much more maddening.

I said, "Go back to sleep, love. You are tired."

She laid down and was out in a matter of minutes. I waited until she was deeply asleep and then slipped out to hunt once again.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Bella POV

"Edward, I love you. I've missed you so much.

He stood in front of me "No, Bella. Don't say anything else. I know what you did with him. You couldn't wait for me, could you? That was supposed to be something special that we experienced together. I don't want you anymore. You are tainted… poisoned by him. You are not good for me. You are not what I need."

I couldn't seem to comprehend the words that were falling from his perfect lips. His beautiful face was twisted with a look of disgust. Tears flooded my eyes and spilled over, coursing watery paths down my bruised and battered face. I could feel my heart shattering into a million tiny pieces.

"Edward… I -I didn't want t-to…He f-forced me to."

His golden eyes dissolved into a menacing black in seconds as fury ripped through his marble body. "No, Bella. You let him kiss you. Alice saw it, Bella. You can't deny it. You didn't push him away or tell him to stop. You wanted it. I don't ever want to see you again, Bella. You have hurt me more than I'll ever be able to explain."

I watched as he seemed to disappear into thin air, evaporating into the night like he'd never existed in the first place.

I sank to the ground with my arms wrapped around my body, devastated. My worst fear had come to fruition. I could see James hovering in the background of the forest, gloating and laughing at me.

The darkness pressed in around me and the only thing left visible was his piercing red eyes, leering at me…

I sat up in the bed quickly, drenched in a cold sweat. I looked around the room wildly. James wasn't there. I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn't need him trying to comfort me again. I didn't want him near me.

I took a deep breath trying to calm myself down. It was just another nightmare I told myself. The horror of it was that it really was my worst fear. I was terrified that Edward really wouldn't want me anymore. I loved him more than my own life. I would die for him. After the episode last night, I was more determined than ever to fight James and his advances. I wouldn't hurt Edward that way. I refused. I would not be James' emotional weapon against the Cullen's. I was better than that. Stronger than that. I didn't love him and I damn sure didn't want him. He was insane if he thought otherwise.

I got off the bed and went to the bathroom. I had my human moment and splashed some cold water on my sweaty face. I needed a clear head to think about how I was going to go about fighting James without getting myself killed.

I looked up into the mirror reluctantly and winced at my reflection. I always thought of myself as being rather plain looking but I looked horrible. My face was so pale and gaunt looking. There was a shadow of a bruise left on my right cheek and James' love bite. I stood there a moment longer gazing at the stranger in the mirror when a thought came to me.

James was gone. I was in a motel and not his personal residence. Maybe there was a phone.

My heart thundered in my chest as I rushed back into the other room hoping against hope that he had forgot that most motel rooms came standard with a phone. Right there on the nightstand it sat quietly in all its glory. It was just a cheap phone but at this moment it was quite possibly the most beautiful thing that I had ever seen.

I cautiously picked up the earpiece and listened for a dial tone. Yes. The first real happiness that I'd felt since that day in the clearing surged through me. The emotion almost felt foreign. Evidently, the bastard was trusting me more. Or he slipped up. Whatever the case may be, he was a fool. I couldn't hardly pass up a chance like this. But then I wavered for just a moment. Did I really want to call Edward's family for help and put them into more danger? My options were limited. I knew that I could never get away from James on my own. But on the other hand, if something happened to one of them I would never forgive myself. I looked at the phone a minute longer. I might not ever get a chance like this again.

My fingers were shaking as I thought about the consequences that my actions could bring. I dialed the number to the Cullen's house. As the phone rang, I rifled through the contents of the drawer in the table. I found a local phone book. Perfect. Edmonton, Alberta. Then I picked up the brochure about the motel and turned it over so I could see the address. Now I could tell them exactly where I was at.

"Hello."

It was Carlisle.

"Carlisle!"

"Who is this?"

"Carlisle. Listen. It's Bella."

"Bella!!"

"Please, Carlisle. I don't have much time. I'm in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. At a Super 8 motel. The address is 16818 118th Avenue. James is gone right now, but he could be back any minute. Please, Carlisle. I can't take much more of this." It was so unlike me to beg but I really was close to losing it. My skin crawled just thinking about what else might happen to me.

"Bella? Are you okay?

He sounded worried. I answered him truthfully. "I've been better, but I'll be okay. I just want to come home." My voice broke on the word home. I was losing control of my hold on my emotions. His voice was so soothing. It made me feel like it was okay to show how I was really feeling. That it was okay to let it all out, to share my pain.

"Shh…Bella. It's going to be okay honey. We're coming to get you. Hang tight. Try to keep James from leaving there. We'll be there as fast as we can."

"Okay, Carlisle. I'll do my best but I can't make any promises. Thank you for doing this. I know you just met me but I feel very close to you."

"Bella. Esme and I already think of you as our daughter. You are a part of this family and we protect our family. We are happy that our son has found you."

"But what if something happens to one of you? I would feel so guilty." I was starting to sound hysterical as I agonized that I'd made the wrong decision. Maybe I shouldn't have called Carlisle at all.

"Shh… Bella. We will be fine. There are seven of us and only one of him. Don't worry about us. Just keep yourself safe. For Edward. He misses you terribly."

"I miss him too. I miss all of you."

"Alright sweetie. Hang tight. We're coming to get you."

The line disconnected and I hung up the phone.

I felt relief for the first time in what seemed like forever. They were coming for me. I was finally going to get away from James. Just as quickly as the relief had come over me, it vanished and was replaced by fear and worry. I was putting Edward's family in danger. I felt selfish for calling them and wanting them to rescue me.

James. Just the thought of him made me tremble in fear. I could still feel his lips on mine. Taste him on my tongue. Feel him inside me. I shivered. I wanted him to never be able to touch me again.

I hated James.

Loathed him.

Despised him.

Feared him.

But no matter how frightened I was of him, I wouldn't let him influence me any longer. This whole situation was entirely to easy for him and it was very quickly getting out of hand. Well, I was done being the pathetic and weak human. Things were going to get a whole lot more difficult for James. I was done being his doormat. It was time that I took some control over my own destiny. I owed that much to myself. I couldn't control what that monster took from me, but I was for damn sure not going to give it to him. Whatever he got, he would have to take.

I laid back down on the bed facing the wall trying to keep my trembling under control. I wasn't sure how to go about fighting him without getting myself hurt again. Not only that, but I had to try to keep him from moving on. We just got here but I didn't know how long he planned to stay. I also didn't know how long it would take the Cullen's to get here.

The waiting was agonizing. I had no distraction from the anticipation of the Cullen's arrival. It was too much to hope that James would not return before they arrived. No, I didn't dare to hope for that. I just hoped that Edward's family remained intact. I knew that the odds were heavily stacked in the Cullen's favor but there was a very real possibility that James could destroy one of them before they ended his life. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if that happened. The guilt would be too much.

I don't know how much time had passed. The day had turned into night. I tried to sleep to make the time pass a little quicker but my mind was too wound up. I turned on the television, hoping to make my mind think about something else for the moment.

I flipped through the channels looking for something to watch. I'd never been much of a television person but nothing was catching my attention. I paused my search when I saw a silver car on the screen. A silver Volvo. It looked just like Edward's car. Edward. My panic increased exponentially when I thought about what would happen when they got there.

I was terrified that Edward wouldn't want me any more. I'd never felt like I was good enough for him. I felt that was more true now than ever. I was used, dirty. No longer pristine and untouched.

What would I do if he pushed me away?

I couldn't even contemplate it. I turned off the T.V. and curled into a ball on the bed. I tried to will all of my bad thoughts away so I could sink into the blissful oblivion of sleep.

I had laid there for maybe five minutes when I heard the door open. I tensed a little as fear gripped my body. I pretended to be asleep. I didn't want to have to deal with him. I shut my eyes as I felt the bed dip under his weight, praying silently that he would just leave me alone for tonight.

I stifled a gasp as I felt his cold hand on my shoulder.

"Bella?"

I didn't move, still pretending to sleep.

"Bella?" This time he shook me lightly.

Still, I refused to move. Suddenly, I was flipped onto my other side so that I was facing him. I sucked in my breath quickly, startled by the sudden change in my position.

He said, "Did you forget our conversation last night. If I speak to you, I expect you to answer."

I glared at him defiantly, meeting his cold gaze. His red eyes pierced mine as he waited for me to back down. I wasn't going to this time. It was time for me to stand up for myself.

I spoke slowly, choosing my words carefully. "Just because I'm here with you against my will doesn't mean that I have to respect you. I didn't choose you and I will never choose you."

He looked at me with shock plastered all over his face. Then he snaked out his arm and slapped me across the face. The force behind the hit caused me to fall off the bed. I knew that this was going to end badly. I couldn't even hope to have a chance against him physically, he was just too strong. But that didn't mean that I had to lose my will.

I held my cheek with my hand and glared at him silently. I'm not going to lie, it hurt. But I didn't cry. I noticed that the strange pull that I'd felt before was diminished. In fact, I could hardly feel it at all any more.

I felt strangely powerful. He couldn't control me any more. He just stared at me with his eyes narrowed, considering me. I didn't like what I saw in his gaze. The colors of his eyes were swirling, the black crowding out the red. I started to get scared. He had been nice to me when it suited his needs but now I'd pissed him off.

He leaned toward me and I got to my feet and moved away from him. I said, "Stay away from me!"

He stood up slowly and smiled. There was nothing remotely joyful in the expression on his face. It was quite frightening actually. Coupled with the possessive look in his eye, it was enough to send a spasm of terror shooting through my body. I backed away from him as he moved forward gracefully, stalking me. I kept up my movement until I felt the wall against my back. I was out room and out of time.

In an instant, he was standing in front of me pinning my wrists to the wall in his icy grip. He pressed his body against mine and said, "What is your problem, Bella? Things were going so well."

I glared at him, trying to control the trembling of my body that betrayed my fear. I was determined to say what I had to say. I said, "Things were going well for you. Can you honestly expect me to like you after what you did to me?"

He leaned closer, his face dangerously close to mine. He said, "I only expect you to respect me."

I laughed derisively. "You don't deserve respect. You are a kidnapper and a rapist."

He released my wrists and cupped my cheek almost tenderly. He wrapped his other hand around my throat, cutting off my airway. I gasped for breath as he leaned closer. He said, "You will learn to respect me, Bella. Even if it's the last thing that you ever do."

He brought his lips to mine and I squirmed trying to get away from him. My vision blurred from the lack of oxygen. I had to stay alive. For Edward. He was coming for me. I used my newly freed hands and pushed against his chest. I might as well have been pushing against a brick wall.

He released my throat and I gasped for air. He dragged me toward the bed and I struggled trying to get away from him. This was not happening again.

He pushed me over roughly and my head hit the wall. I blinked and let out a soft cry. Images of the last time were flashing through my mind. Mt trembling got worse. I couldn't survive this time

He pinned my wrists above my head. I finally found my voice. "Please, don't do this. James… Please…" I pleaded with him. What had I reduced myself to?

It didn't matter any way. He wasn't listening. He slapped me again and growled. He said, "Shut up, bitch. I've had enough of your mouth." Then he pressed his cold hand over my mouth and said, "Shh.. I want to enjoy this."

I felt my skin split as he sliced a new cut on my wrist and began drinking deeply. I felt the warmth leaving my arm as he pulled more and more blood from my body.

All the fight left me as I weakened from the blood loss. His hand left my mouth and went to waistband of my jeans. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to block out what was happening. Tears escaped my eyes in a never ending flow.

He started to unbutton my pants and then he tensed. I opened my eyes. What was going on? He growled low in his throat sending vibrations through my body from where he was pressed against me. He said, "It seems that we are going to have company soon, Bella. We'll have to continue this later."

He pushed himself off me and in the blink of an eye, we were back in the car racing down the road. In my last thought as I lost consciousness was Alice. I hoped she could see where he was taking me. My head slumped against the seat and the darkness washed over me pulling me under.

End note: What did you think? I hope I did Bella justice. I know Bella might not seem like the type to call for help but she's getting desperate. What do you think of the way she handled James? You might be wondering how she was able to suddenly resist him like that. James' venom hasn't been enough to change her but it has strengthened her abilities. Her shield is strong enough to resist his lure now. It also affects Alice's ability to see her. That's why Alice is having a hard time pinpointing where they are. Bella has to want Alice to see her and Bella doesn't know about her ability.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Carlisle POV

I sat in my study staring at a map of North America not really seeing the map at all. My thoughts were trained on the severe distress that my family was in. In all of the years of my existence, never had I experienced such turmoil. And that was saying a lot.

It boggled my mind at the effect that a mere human girl had on my family. Edward had only just brought Bella home to meet the family. But we already seemed to have an unbreakable bond with the girl. Each and every member of the family was suffering in their own way.

Edward had refused to hunt. He hardly even left his room. The only one that could coax him out was Esme and I think even then he did it purely out of guilt.

Jasper I think was having the worst time out of all of us. Not only did he have to deal with his feelings but he had to deal with all of our own feelings too. He could not even come home anymore. The emotions that everyone was emitting was driving him into madness.

Alice. Alice was distraught. There was no other word for it. The way that everything was affecting Jasper coupled with the fact for some reason she couldn't see Bella in her visions anymore was causing her extreme distress. The last vision that she had seen of Bella was right after James had kidnapped her. After he had assaulted her. Since then, her visions of Bella had been muddled. She said it was like trying to see through murky water. She placed the blame squarely on herself that we hadn't been able to save Bella.

Emmett was also suffering. He was very family oriented and he already considered Bella his little sister. It was hard for him to think about her in the hands of that monster and there wasn't anything that he could do about it.

Rosalie didn't want anyone to know that she cared but what had happened to Bella brought back horrible memories for her. She was sickened that Bella had been subjected to that horror. She had resolved that when we got Bella back that she would help her heal. Rosalie had been there before and she knew exactly what Bella was going through.

Esme, my darling wife. This was also dredging up painful memories for her. Right before the end of her human life, Esme lost a child. She was taking Bella's loss as badly as she had taken her own child's. It pained me to see her in so much pain.

As for myself, I looked at Bella as one of my own. She had captured our hearts in the brief time that we had known her. Not only was I hurting because she was in danger, but also because my entire family was hurting. I had failed as a father to protect my family from that psychopath.

I was lost in my musings when the phone rang. I looked at it thoughtfully. Who could that be? No one ever called the house phone. I couldn't recall anyone that even had the number.

I answered, "Hello."

"Carlisle!"

"Who is this?" It sounded just like Bella. But it couldn't be, could it?

"Carlisle. Listen. It's Bella."

Bella… "Bella!!" I heard a crash come from Edward's room. I directed my thoughts at him. Edward, calm yourself. Let me talk to her.

"Please, Carlisle. I don't have much time. I'm in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. At a Super 8 motel. The address is 16818 118th Avenue. James is gone right now, but he could be back any minute. Please, Carlisle. I can't take much more of this."

"Bella? Are you okay?" She sounded like she was on the brink of tears. I was worried that her spirit was breaking. There was only so much that a person could take before they cracked. She was incredibly strong to have lasted this long in the clutches of that maniac.

"I've been better, but I'll be okay. I just want to come home."

My God, she sounded so broken. The carefree girl that she had been was gone. Who knew of she would ever return. It was unlikely.

"Shh… Bella." I tried to calm her down. "It's going to be okay honey. We're coming to get you. Hang tight. Try to keep James from leaving there. We'll be there as fast as we can."

Edward, I called from my mind. Call Jasper, tell him to come back to the house. Get the rest of the family, tell them we're leaving in ten minutes. We're going to get our girl back.

"Okay, Carlisle. I'll do my best. I can't make any promises. Thank you for doing this. I know you just met me but I feel very close to you."

The poor girl. She ought to know that we all love and adore her and would do anything for her. "Bella, Esme and I already think of you as our daughter. You are a part of this family and we protect our family. We are happy that our son found you."

This conversation was proving to be heart wrenching. Bella didn't deserve any of the things that had happened to her and yet she was worrying that she was inconveniencing us. She had such a purely good soul. I was going to do everything in my power to rectify what had happened to Bella.

"But what if something happens to one of you? I would feel so guilty."

She was starting to sound hysterical. I soothed her. "Shh… Bella. We will be fine. There are seven of us and only one of him. Don't worry about us. Just keep yourself safe. For Edward. He misses you terribly." The girl was so compassionate. Worrying for our safety when her own life was in more jeopardy.

"I miss him too. I miss all of you."

My heart swelled with emotion. "Alright sweetie. Hang tight. We're coming to get you."

I hung up the phone and flew into action. We had to leave immediately. There was the distinct possibility that James could leave before we ever got there. With Alice's visions of Bella being unreliable, time was of the essence. I was out of my study and down the stairs in two seconds. My family was waiting in the dining room.

"I'm sure that Edward has already told you. Bella is okay for now but we have got to hurry before James leaves again. Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, and I will take my car. Edward, Alice, and Jasper take the Volvo. You all know what to do when we get there."

We streaked outside and to the cars. As much as I hated to destroy another creature, James was going to get what he deserved. He would never cause anyone else pain again. I would personally make sure of it. No one messed with my family and walked away. No one.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

James POV

Bella. My thoughts drifted to her again as I dropped the petite brunette on the ground, her brown eyes staring sightlessly passed me. For this unfortunate girl, her similarity to Bella had been her death sentence. Since the ballet studio all of my hunts had centered around girls who had some resemblance to Bella. It was the only thing that I could do to curb the need that I felt for Bella.

I couldn't drain Bella dry to satisfy my constant craving. I loved her and wanted her to be with me but she wasn't ready yet. To help satiate my thirst, I hunted only those that looked like Bella. It helped somewhat. Of course they didn't smell or taste near as good as Bella, but the act itself was satisfying. The only downside to my new requirements was the fact that my hunts had steadily been increasing in length as I sought after prey that would fit the bill.

I wasn't worried though. Bella was proving very docile indeed. She was a smart girl. She knew that she couldn't escape from me and trying would only endanger herself more. As for the Cullen's, they have not come near us even once. I have to admit I was a little disappointed in that fact. It was making my game a bit on the dull side. On the upside though, Bella was a lovely distraction. She was caught firmly in my web of seduction. It would only be a matter of time before she succumbed to my charms. Another couple days and I could make her mine.

"Bella."

I loved the way her sweet name rolled off my tongue. I raced back through the forest. I needed to see her. Touch her. Hold her. I couldn't explain the feelings that I felt for her. It seemed so sudden. I was with Victoria until that day at the ballet studio. To be frank, I have not thought of her even once for more than a fleeting second since then. I've never felt so strongly as I did about Bella for any other being much less a human. They were our food. But Bella was different. Special. I couldn't even begin to understand it. It went against everything I'd ever known.

I stepped out of the trees carefully. I didn't need to draw any unnecessary attention to myself. I walked the last couple of blocks back to the motel. It was all I could do to keep a human pace. I could smell her already. She was calling me.

I opened the door. She was lying on the bed facing the wall. I knew she wasn't asleep. I saw her shoulder tense when I opened the door. I smiled. I decided to play along with her game.

I sat on the bed and put my hand on her shoulder. I heard her sharp intake of breathe and my smile broadened.

"Bella?"

She didn't answer.

"Bella?" This time I shook her shoulder carefully.

Still no response. Damn it. I pressed my lips into a thin line as I struggled to control my temper. Enough games. I was tired of playing. I flipped her quickly so that she was facing me. I had to put a stop to this kind of behavior now.

I said, "Did you forget our conversation that we had last night. If I speak to you, I expect you to answer."

She glared at me. The nerve of that girl. I gazed back at her, looking straight into her eyes waiting for her to submit. She would know her place. I wouldn't have her defying me.

Her eyes never left mine once and I felt a little apprehensive. She wasn't backing down like I thought she would.

She said, "Just because I'm here with you against my will doesn't mean that I have to respect you. I didn't choose you and I will never choose you."

Her words cut me deeper than any had ever before. I was shocked that she even dared to speak to me like that. I slapped her sending her off the bed and crashing to the floor. I was mindful of my strength though. I didn't want to really hurt her but her insolence was wearing on me.

She put her hand to her cheek but the glare never left her face. She didn't even cry. What the hell was going on here?

I narrowed my eyes and concentrated trying to pull her back in using as much of the vampire allure as I could muster. It wasn't working. This was so frustrating. She was fighting it somehow. Her eyes were clear and full of hate. What had changed? Things had been progressing nicely but now we were back to square one. I was just going to have to teach her a lesson in who was in control of this relationship. As I leaned toward her, she got to her feet and moved away.

She hissed, "Stay away from me!"

I stood up and smiled. She was asking for it. I wasn't happy about this. I wanted a real relationship with affection that traveled both ways but I guess I was going to have to settle for just the physical parts for now.

She backed away as I stalked forward silently. I could see the sheer terror on her face and it pleased me. She should be afraid of me. She should do what I asked of her. I would treat her like a queen. I would give her everything that her heart desired. All I wanted was her affection. Her trust. Her love. And I would obtain it. One way or the other.

Her back hit the wall and I made my move pinning her arms to the wall. I pressed myself against her and said, "What is your problem, Bella? Things were going so well."

She glared at me but her trembling betrayed her fear. She said, "Things were going well for you. Can you honestly expect me to like you after what you did to me?"

I leaned closer to her savoring her scent. I said, "I only expect you to respect me."

She laughed. Was she insane? Then she said, "You don't deserve respect. You are a kidnapper and a rapist."

Now she'd crossed the line. I let go of her wrists and cupped her swollen cheek in one hand. Then I locked my other hand around her throat. She gasped for air as I leaned closer. I said, "You will learn to respect me, Bella. Even if it is the last thing that you ever do."

I kissed her fiercely. She was going to understand that she belonged to me now. She squirmed and pushed against me trying to get out of my grasp. She was only turning me on more. I let go of her throat and dragged her struggling form over to the bed. I didn't want to do it like this. I wanted her to reciprocate my attentions. But that was no matter. I guess that I'd have to take what I could get. Bella wasn't giving me an option. In time she'd come to love me.

I pushed her onto her backside against the bed and she hit her head on the wall. Good. She shouldn't fight me. If she knew what was good for her she would do everything that I asked of her.

I pinned her wrists to the bed above her head savoring her sweet scent as it washed over me again. She said, "Please, don't do this. James… please."

She was wasting her breath. I slapped her. She was pissing me off. "Shut up, bitch! I've had enough of your mouth." Then I pressed my hand over her mouth cutting off her cries and whimpers. "Shh… I want to enjoy this."

Using my fingernail again, I split the skin on her left wrist. Her sweet, red nectar rose from the cut and I sucked at it greedily. I could never get enough. It might be worth keeping her human so that I could have an endless supply of her blood.

Her movements slowed as she weakened from the blood loss. That was exactly what I was waiting for. I released her wrists and moved my hand to her jeans. Suddenly, I felt a tingling on the back of my neck. That could only mean one thing. The Cullen's were close by. I growled and cursed at my wretched luck. How did they find us? I'd been extremely careful. Never mind that now. I needed a plan. There was an airport here in Edmonton. We'd just take the first flight out of Canada. It was a good thing that I'd had a passport made for Bella last week. That would save some time.

I said, "It seems that we are going to have company soon, Bella. We'll have to continue this later."

I pushed myself off of her and carried her to the car. She was drifting off to sleep. At least the trip to the airport would be quiet. I needed to strategize. The Cullen's were in for a big surprise when they got to Edmonton.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Alice POV

Guilt. That was only one of the emotions that kept pulling me under. I'd failed Bella in the worst way imaginable. I should have seen something by now so that we could save her. Save her from that monster.

But no matter how hard I tried or how often I looked, I never saw anything more than murky images. I couldn't even tell if it was Bella in those muddled images that flashed in my mind. It hurt to think that she had counted on us and we had let her down on such epic proportions. I couldn't stand to think about Bella being near that fiend. After the first vision of them together, who knew what horrors he was subjecting her to. My imagination ran wild different scenarios that she might have suffered since that horrendous imagery had polluted my mind.

I was the one who possessed the gift that should have delivered her safely back home to us. But my ability was useless when it came to Bella now. It was more distressing than I could let on. I was supposed to be the upbeat one. The one that always looked on the bright side of things. That was only because I always knew how things were going to turn out. I've never been completely in the dark. It made me anxious and worried. If I could get an ulcer, I'd be developing one right now. I didn't understand what was going on. What was wrong with me?

Why couldn't I see her anymore?

Terror gripped me when I considered the possibilities. What if he had killed her? What if that was the reason I couldn't see her anymore?

Suddenly, I was grateful that Jasper had taken a break from the house. My emotions had run across the entire board. I felt like I was bipolar or something. It would have left my love feeling like he had whiplash. Everyone's emotions were affecting him so negatively to begin with. It hurt me to see him struggling with his ability. His gift truly was his curse sometimes. He felt his own emotions and they were magnified by what everyone else was feeling. If he didn't exercise extreme caution , he could project those intense emotions back onto the rest of us. It would become a vicious cycle.

I sighed and rubbed my temples absentmindedly, trying to will the visions to come. I was beyond frustrated. Why couldn't I see anything important? The only thing that I was seeing with any clarity were of every day mundane things. New trends in the stock market. The fashion expo in Milan next month.

The next vision perked me up somewhat. Jasper would be home in twenty-three minutes. I noticed that he had a fierce, calculated look on his face. It looked like he was planning something. I saw my future self melt into his embrace and I smiled. I loved him more than life itself.

I sighed again as I thought about Jasper and what he meant to me. I couldn't imagine the pain that Edward was facing. I couldn't comprehend the anguish that I would feel if Jasper was ripped away from me like Bella has been from Edward. I loved Bella but she wasn't my other half like Jasper was. My own pain couldn't even begin to compare to his. The fact that she was human and so delicate was also cause for concern. She was fragile and easily broken. I worried about her mind as much as her body. If only Edward had listened to me from the beginning. This whole tragedy could have been avoided. I had seen Bella as a vampire, as one of us. I heard a low growl of anger erupt from Edward's room.

"You are so stubborn, Edward." I shouted in my mind. "If we had just changed her, she'd have been safe. I love her too, Edward. We all do. But surely this life wouldn't have been as bad as what he's done to her. I just want my sister and best friend back, you asshole. I want my family back. I want this nightmare to be over."

I let up my silent tirade. "I'm sorry Edward. It's not your fault."

He just wanted what was best for Bella. He thought that if he changed her he would be destroying her soul and he couldn't do that. I didn't believe for one minute that we were soulless. I didn't think of us as monsters like he did. True, there were others of our kind that did horrific things but that didn't mean that we were all evil. There were humans out there who killed just as ruthlessly as vampires. Did that make all humans killers? In my mind, that made humans more evil than vampires. Most vampires only killed to feed. Humans killed for a broad spectrum of reasons. Some did it for pleasure. Some did it in anger or for revenge. Some did it for no good reason at all. It was our choices in life that defined us. I felt that nothing changed when we began this life. Our choices made us who we were and I felt confident that Bella wouldn't have any problems following our diet. She was such a good person and I knew that she would carry that

with her when she changed.

I heard the phone ringing in the background. I wondered vaguely who that could be. I'd never even heard the house phone ring before. I heard a crash from Edward's room and then I heard Carlisle say, "Bella?"

I launched myself off the couch and was halfway up the stairs when Edward met me. He had a look of relief etched on his face. I raised my eyebrow and questioned him silently, "What's going on?"

He said, "Bella is on the phone with Carlisle. He knows where she is. Go get Rosalie and Emmett. I'll call Jasper right now. Carlisle said we need to leave in ten minutes. We'll all meet in the dining room."

Happiness radiated my body as I raced down the stairs and into the garage. Emmett and Rosalie were under the jeep. "Emmett, Rosalie, Carlisle has got Bella on the phone. He knows where she is. We're going to get her."

Emmett whooped loudly as he slid out from under the car. "It's about time. I've missed that little squirt too much. That asshole is going to regret touching our little sister. I can't wait to get my hands on him."

Rosalie smiled at Emmett's protectiveness of Bella. This unfortunate event had changed her attitude toward Bella a great deal. Not that she openly disliked Bella, but now they had something in common. She felt closer to the girl that she thought should stay away from them. Now Bella would be lucky if Rosalie ever let her out of her sight when she returned.

Then my own piece of heaven ran into the garage. I felt the stiff set of my shoulders relaxing and I rushed into his arms. "Jazz," I said softly and breathed in his scent.

"I missed you darlin'," he replied.

I took his hand and followed the rest of our family into the dining room. We couldn't make use of this room in the traditional sense but Carlisle still liked to use it to have family meetings in. Some vestiges left over from his humanity. I heard Carlisle race down the stairs and I waited impatiently for him to speak. I hated being blind. I hated not knowing what was going to happen. It made me feel vulnerable and unprotected.

Carlisle didn't waste any time. "I'm sure that Edward has already told you. Bella is okay for now but we have got to hurry before James leaves again. Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, and I will take my car. Edward, Alice, and Jasper take the Volvo. You all know what to do when we get there."

Carlisle had a grim look on his face and it was a little intimidating. He was very old and very powerful. It was more than daunting seeing him look so determined and so angry. Carlisle was usually so quiet and passive.

We didn't hesitate as we ran outside and into the cars. Jasper and I jumped into Edward's backseat and he tore out of the driveway behind Carlisle.

I wished that we could run. It would be so much faster, not to mention that it would make me feel that I was actively doing something to help Bella.

Edward answered my thought. "It would be faster for awhile, Alice. But not very practical. What would we do when we ran out of the cover of the forest? Besides, Carlisle thought if Bella rode home in something familiar to her that it would be easier to start the healing process."

I nodded. It made sense but I felt a deep foreboding at the whole situation. James was a tracker. I was sure that he would be able to sense when we got close. I was terrified he would leave before we got there. I was scared that I wouldn't see it and we'd be back to square one. I had lost all faith in my defective visions.

"What's the matter, beautiful?", Jasper murmured in my ear.

Sometimes I cursed his ability. I couldn't hide anything from him. I said, "I'm afraid that he'll be gone before we get there. I'm worried that I won't see his decision if he does leave. I'm scared that we'll lose her again." I felt my eyes prick with tears that would never fall as I broke down. I would never forgive myself if anything else happened to her.

Jasper sent soothing waves of calm at me and I felt extremely grateful for his care and understanding. He was the only one who truly understood me. He said, "Everything is going to work out darlin'. You'll see."

I relaxed into his embrace and let him control my emotions for the moment. I knew the feelings of calm and tranquility that he was sending was for Edward as much as it was for me. I could only imagine the confusing things that he was feeling right now. Knowing Edward, he would have a full on anxiety attack if Jasper would let him.

We made good time but I found myself getting impatient when we came within one hundred miles of Edmonton. We couldn't move fast enough. She'd spent too much time as it was with that bastard. It was too much to hope that this terrible experience wouldn't change Bella but I would do everything that I could to help her.

I was ruminating on Bella when it hit. I gasped I was so shocked. It was Bella, crystal clear in my vision. She was arguing with James. I threw a wall up around my mind. Edward didn't need to see this yet. I wasn't sure how this was going to end and we didn't need Edward ripping the car apart. I saw him hit her and saw her brave reaction. Oh, Bella. Hang on, we're coming.

I got more angry as the vision continued. He was going to rape her again. Oh, God. I sat rigidly as I saw him slice into her pale skin. He was feeding from her again, the bastard. Then I saw him stiffen and the words he uttered to her would have made my blood run cold if I still had any.

Shit. He knows. Jasper said, "What did you see, Alice?"

I didn't answer him. I pulled out my phone and dialed the number. "Carlisle, he knows…Yes, I saw it perfectly clear…I don't know what the difference is…I didn't feel anything different…No, I don't know…"I trailed off as another vision flashed in my mind. James and Bella at an airport.

I said, "Carlisle, they are heading to the airport."

I hung up, overjoyed that I'd finally seen her. I replayed the first part of my vision for Edward so that he could see that she was okay. I saw him relax and loosen his grip on the steering wheel.

"Thank you, Alice. Can you see where they are going?"

"Not yet, but I'm watching for it."

We sat in silence as we got closer to the airport. I didn't think that we could stop him at the airport. Too many witnesses. Hopefully, we would know where he went and we could follow accordingly.

I closed my eyes as another vision danced in my mind. I sat up straight and cried out at what I saw. Why would he take her there? Was he insane? Surely he knew about them!

Jasper said, "What is it, beautiful?"

I could only choke out one word but it was all that was needed.

"Italy!"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

James POV

I honestly would rather avoid Italy altogether. It was extremely risky. I've only met members of the Volturi coven on one other occasion and lets just say that the circumstances were less than pleasant. It had been at the height of the southern vampire wars and I'd been passing through the area. I wasn't in immediate danger from their brand of justice but I witnessed their power firsthand. That Jane and Alec were a force to be reckoned with. And they weren't the only members of the immediate guard. They were just the most powerful.

But I really didn't have a choice. The flight to Italy was the only one leaving in the next three hours, so my choices were limited. I could stand around and wait for the Cullen's to come and exterminate me or I could get my ass on the plane to Italy. Neither choice was ideal but I'd rather chance Italy. There was no way that I could fight the Cullen's alone and expect to survive. I didn't have any guarantees in Italy either but it could buy me some time.

I ruminated some more about my problem and returned my thoughts to the Volturi. Perhaps I didn't have to fight the Cullen's alone. They had broken one of our most important laws. Keep the secret. They had revealed themselves to a human. A crime punishable by death. I knew that Aro wouldn't take my word alone but I knew about his unique gift. One touch and he would see the truth.

I smiled to myself. It was almost too easy. This was working out better than I could have planned. Once the Cullen's were out of my way, Bella would be mine. I'd be free to make her my mate.

I was satisfied that I had a strategy planned out. I relaxed in my seat ignoring the burn in my throat and glanced over at my beauty. She had fallen back asleep almost immediately after we had taken off. I was glad that she was weakened from my feeding. It made this trip less complicated than it could have been. I would have been hard pressed to do anything if Bella had tried to escape at the airport. As it was, she was too tired to make a scene.

In just a few short days, she would be mine and mine alone. The thought was very gratifying. I leaned back in my seat with thoughts of the Cullen's untimely demise in my mind.

Hours later, the plane began its descent and I roused Bella. She had slept the entire way.

"Bella, wake up. We're here."

She opened her eyes and looked at me vacantly. I sort of missed her fire, that lively spark that was present in her eyes when she was defying me. After this was all over, hopefully she's get her spunk back.

We got off the plane and went through customs. That was simple since we had very little luggage. I led Bella to the parking lot and began scanning it for a suitable car. I knew that the Cullen's wouldn't be too far behind and I needed to get to Volterra quickly in order to ambush the Cullen's.

Luckily for us, a cab pulled up to the curb as we exited the terminal. I put Bella in the cab and climbed inside after her. The burn in my throat intensified again when I shut the door. This would be another long trip. It had been almost unendurable in the enclosed confines of the plane and it would be awhile before I could hunt properly again. It wouldn't be prudent to be killing in the Volturi's backyard.

Bella leaned her head against the window and watched the scenery flash by us. She was cooperating rather nicely. I wished that I knew what was going on in her head. Her attitude from last night was gone. It was like the fight had gone right out of her. Maybe I'd finally gotten it through her head that I would not give her up. Whatever her motive was it was working to my advantage.

I distracted myself from my unbearable thirst by thinking about what to say to Aro. As I mentioned before, my words wouldn't mean much to him. He'd know my every thought once he'd touched me. But I also had to contend with Marcus and Caius as well. Aro was the leader unquestionably but they still held a lot of influence. Aro would not pass a judgment without consulting them first.

I wasn't worried. I hadn't broken the law. I watched eagerly as the walls of the ancient city loomed into view. It was positively medieval looking. This was the first time that I'd been here and I was impressed to say the least. It was very beautiful. I wouldn't mind spending some time here.

I paid the cab driver and led Bella through the city. I wasn't sure where the coven was based at but I knew that soon enough I would cross the scent of a vampire and it would be nothing to follow it.

After a few minutes of walking, I caught the smell of two vampires. I followed it for a few blocks until we came to a huge building. We entered and immediately I smelled many more vampires. This had to be it but I was shocked by the receptionist. She had very vivid green eyes and she was decidedly human. I guess the rules didn't apply when it comes to them. That was no bother to me as long as it didn't interfere with my plans.

I said, "Hello. My name is James. I need to see Aro."

She said, "Aro is a very busy man. Do you have an appointment?"

I said, "No. But I have some very important information that he needs to know. It is an emergency."

She said, "Have a seat. I'll be back with you shortly."

I led Bella to the loveseat and we sat down. The woman spoke in whispered tones into a telephone but of course I could hear every word that she spoke. She explained that there was a vampire here with a frail, human girl and that I wanted to see Aro. Then she listened for a minute and hung up.

She came across the room to us. She didn't seem to be afraid of me. She must have no sense of self preservation or she was just very good at her job. She said, "Someone will be here to collect you momentarily."

I said, "Thank you."

Bella said, "Who is Aro?"

She startled me. And that was saying a lot since I was a vampire. She had been so quiet for so long that I really hadn't expected her to speak.

I answered her cryptically, "He's an old friend that I have not seen in quite a while."

She seemed satisfied with my answer and I sighed inwardly. I didn't want her scared before she needed to be. If she knew what we would be walking into she would be terrified.

The doors to the elevator opened and a young looking vampire stepped out. Alec. One of the witch twins. Bella looked at him with wide eyes, realizing that he was a vampire by the redness of his eyes.

He said, "My name is Alec. Aro is expecting you." He gestured to the elevator with his hand.

I stood and pulled Bella to her feet. She was trembling. I followed Alec into the elevator and Bella followed hesitantly behind me. I sincerely hoped that she wouldn't try to escape now. There were way too many vampires that could be pushed into hunting mode if she did.

The elevator started its descent and I could feel Bella cowering behind me, hiding from Alec's view. I felt a surge of pleasure knowing that she felt somewhat safe with me. The elevator stopped and we followed Alec down a long corridor. Bella was openly shaking by now. I don't know if it was from fear or cold. It was damp and dark down here.

Alec turned right and led us through an archway that entered into a large circular room. There was a large drain in the middle of the floor that looked rather insidious even too me. There were about twenty-five coven members present. I felt Bella stiffen and her breath was coming in short pants. I squeezed her hand trying to calm her. I noticed that the members of the guard wore long cloaks that were varying shades of grey. The ancients wore cloaks that were black as midnight. I surmised that the cloaks symbolized how important you were to the guard. The darker the cloak, the higher up you were.

Aro moved gracefully to the center of the room. His movements were so smooth that he looked like fluid in motion. I briefly wondered if he was naturally that graceful or did it come with age.

"Welcome to Volterra, friends. I hear you have some exciting news for me. I do hope it is interesting. It has been a dreadful bore around here lately." He spoke in a jovial tone, as if he didn't have a care in the world.

I could feel Bella cringe beside me as Aro spoke. I was rather proud of her though. Here she was in a room full of vampires where she was definitely on the menu and she was holding her own. I had honestly expected her to faint or have a full blown panic attack.

I spoke, "I do have some information for you, but it is a lengthy story. It might be easier if I show you."

Aro raised his eyebrows and stepped forward raising his hand. I pressed my finger to his palm and the memories began flashing through my mind.

Aro POV

Shock. That was the only word for it. Carlisle. My old friend had broken our most cardinal law. You must keep the secret. Of course, I wouldn't pass judgment until I'd heard all the facts but it seemed from these particular thoughts and memories that Carlisle had some explaining to do.

I was most intrigued by the scene in the clearing. Carlisle's fledgling had defended the human girl with such an intensity. In fact, the entire coven had. It also seemed that James also had a strong desire for her. His thoughts centered around making her his mate. I turned my attention to the girl. What was it about her that inspired such a reaction?

I studied her quietly. Isabella was her name. Beautiful. It described her well. She was rather pretty for a human. Long, wavy, mahogany locks framed her pale, heart-shaped face. Her features were delicate. Her eyes were large pools of molten chocolate. She would be stunning as a vampire.

Then there was her scent. It was divine. She smelled wonderful to me but I'd caught from James' thoughts that she was his singer. His la tua cantante. His restraint was amazing. She must truly mean something to him for him to resist the call of her sweet blood. In fact, if I wasn't mistaken, he had fed from her and had managed to stop before he killed her. That was all the more remarkable.

Finally, after receiving all of James' thoughts, I said, "That is very interesting, indeed. But I think I require more information. Bella…" I directed my gaze to hers, "Would you do me the honors?"

I held out my hand to her. She looked at James and he nodded to her. She stepped forward hesitantly and lifted her hand. I clasped it gently and reveled in her warmth. But there was nothing there. Her mind was like a dark void to me.

I was without words. I carefully concealed my shock. Never in my three thousand plus years has this occurred. This human girl was the most powerful shield that I'd ever encountered. I decided to experiment a little. I stepped back. "Jane…" She knew what I wanted. She concentrated her gaze on Bella. Absolutely nothing.

I was delighted. If she was this powerful in her mortal form, just imagine the possibilities once she was a vampire.

I simply had to have her. And I think I could use this whole situation to my benefit. This, James, was trying to use the hand of the Volturi for his own vengeance and survival. I knew that the Cullen's were hunting him. I knew that they were on their way to Italy. James wanted us to take out the Cullen's for their transgression leaving the way clear for him to have Bella.

I couldn't let that happen. The Cullen's had several gifted members. First and foremost was Alice. Her gift to see the future was astounding.

Then there was Edward. His gift was very similar to my own but he wasn't limited the way that I was. It was amazing to me that he could read thoughts from a distance. It made me slightly envious.

And Jasper. The warrior. He was an empath. Not only could he feel what others were feeling, he could change how they were feeling. That could be extremely useful.

Finally, I thought about Carlisle. He didn't have any exceptional gifts but I still felt a deep affection for my old comrade. I hated to think that I might have to destroy him and his family. But rules were rules. I would give them an out but I had to get rid of James first.

I studied him once more. He was vicious and sadistic. There was no doubt about it. He lived for the hunt and he was good at it. He had done evil and vile things to that poor human girl. It was despicable. But technically he hadn't broken our laws. I couldn't destroy him without tainting the Volturi name. But the Cullen's could.

A plan was blossoming in my mind. A way to get rid of James and gain what I coveted. It was beyond perfect.

"Excuse me for a moment , but I must confer with my brothers."

I made my way to Marcus and Caius and we stepped into the throne room where James couldn't over hear us. I shared with them what had transpired between James, the Cullen's, and the human girl. Then I shared with them the extent of Bella's gift. Finally, I told them my plan.

Marcus was apathetic but Caius was furious. He thought we should uphold the law. I cajoled him, "Marcus, if we turn her into a vampire, which I will do, there is no foul. Think of what we will gain." He reluctantly agreed and I made my way back into the meeting room. I glided back to James.

"James. It seems that your accusations are proven. I do require one small favor and in return you may leave with your lovely, little prize."

He said, "What would you like me to do?"

I smiled. "I want you to lure the Cullen's out into the countryside. We will seek to deliver our message there. Then you may go."

He looked thoughtful for a minute. Then he replied, "It would be my pleasure."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

James POV

I wasted no time following Aro's instructions. The Cullen's couldn't be more than a day behind me and I'd already spent half a day in Volterra. I wasn't concerned though. I still had more than enough time to set the trap.

Aro had Alec drive Bella and I back to the airport. Once we arrived, we set out through Pisa on foot. It wasn't entirely ideal because Bella was still weak and it was taking a lot of time moving at her human pace but it was the only option. I wanted them to be able to follow our scent and it was the best way to guarantee that they would find us in the spot that Aro had chosen.

As soon as we were safely away from the city, I scooped Bella up and started running. Aro said that there was a villa about twenty miles outside Volterra. Bella and I were to stay there until I could feel that the Cullen's were close. He said that there was a giant rock outcropping close by that I could use to protect my back. Bella, of course, would protect my front. They wouldn't dare attack me if Bella was in danger.

The guard would wait downwind so that the Cullen's wouldn't be able to catch their scent. They had their own tracker, Dimitri, that could tell when the Cullen's got close to our position. Alec would then be dispatched to paralyze them so they could be destroyed.

I smiled at the thought. They had no idea what was in store for them. Well, that might not be entirely true. Alice may have seen it. Hopefully, they would come anyway. Hopefully, the lure of revenge and the rescue of Bella was enough to draw them in.

"Soon, Bella…" I whispered into her ear as she slumbered. "Soon, you'll belong to me and no one else."

I slowed down as I came into view of the small villa that Aro had described. I decided to put Bella inside first and then to do some scouting. I wanted to make sure that the terrain was going to work the way that I needed it too. I opened the door and walked in. No one had been here in ages. That much was obvious from the thick layer of dust that coated everything. I set Bella down on the dusty bed. She was still asleep. The hike out of the city must have really drained her energy. I frowned, realizing the fact that Bella hadn't eaten in a while. I forgot that she needed to eat more often than I did. I would make sure that I got her something when this was all over. She was getting far too weak.

I left Bella inside and walked outside. I looked the large rock formation over for a minute. It was perfect for the strategy that Aro had put into place. The rock ensured that there was no way that the Cullen's could flank me and try to surround me. Bella's presence would dissuade them from outright attacking me. The guard was hiding in the forest about five miles away. I could feel Aro's presence with my gift. Everything was falling into place. Victory would be mine and the Cullen's doom was sealed. All I had to do was wait and sit back to watch the show.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Bella POV

I woke up slowly and looked around bewildered. I was laying on a filthy bed. I had no recollection on how I got there. The last thing that I remembered was walking through Pisa from the airport. I remembered James picking me up and then I must have fallen asleep.

I stood up and stretched my aching body. Ugh! I was tired of feeling so weak all the time. I just wanted to feel normal again.

Normal.

That was something that I felt that I would never be again. If somehow I survived this twisted game that James was playing and found my way back to Edward, I wouldn't be the same. The old Bella was carefree and trusting. That Bella was gone. James had effectively killed her. I didn't know if I'd be able to trust anyone ever again. The old Bella wasn't scared of much. I wouldn't describe myself as a coward now, but I was definitely a lot more paranoid about things. I knew that the most mundane tasks were going to be hard. Anything that involved being in public or spending time around people other than my family was going to cause problems. Just the thought of Mike Newton caused me to be short of breath. How was I ever supposed to get passed this?

I tried to distract myself from agonizing over how I had changed by thinking about the meeting that James had with the old vampire. Aro was his name. I shuddered when I recalled his image in my mind. His milky, red eyes and translucent, papery skin had unnerved me. Then the vagueness of the whole thing. They had hardly even said anything. I wondered if Aro had some kind of power. It seemed that he could communicate without spoken words. Like telekinesis or something. James had touched him. Then Aro had touched me. I shuddered once again as I remembered his cold hand grasping mine. I didn't hear anything when he did that. But that didn't mean anything. Edward wasn't able to hear my mind either. Maybe I really was defective. Whatever the case was I felt that nothing good could come of Aro's involvement.

Not only was I freaked out about Aro's appearance and touch, but also by the cryptic request that he had made. Aro wanted James to lure the Cullen's to the countryside. His word choice alone made it sound like a trap. What was the message that he spoke of? I was afraid for my vampire family. I would have to try to warn them about my suspicions. If any of them were harmed trying to rescue me, I could never live with the guilt that I would feel. It was my fault that I'd fallen into James' trap. I should be the one to pay for my mistake. Not them.

I was also worried because there were so many of them. There were at least thirty vampires in that cold, circular room. There was no way that my vampire family could escape from a confrontation unscathed. I knew that they were coming. James seemed convinced and he wasn't running anymore. He was ready for the confrontation that was sure to happen. The thought of Edward fighting with James was enough to make my stomach churn with nausea. Whatever was going to happen would happen soon. I was more scared than I had ever been. I was second guessing my decision to call Carlisle in the first place. If I hadn't they would be safe at home.

I was lost in my musings when the front door opened. Think of the devil and he shall appear.

"Oh, good. You're awake. Come, my little pet, it is time."

Time. The moment that I've been dreading. My heart started pounding in my chest. I was a ball of fear. So much was at stake. Not just my own life hung in the balance. The lives of each member of the Cullen family were in danger. I swallowed the bile that had risen in my throat.

James grabbed my trembling hand with his smooth, marble one and pulled me through the door. It was twilight. I felt another pang of regret at getting Edward and his family mixed up in this mess. Rosalie was right. They would have been better off if I'd never been involved in their lives.

James picked me up and in a flash we were by a large rock formation. He placed his back to the rock and put me down in front of him. What on earth was he doing? Then it dawned on me. He was going to use me as a shield. Was there no end to his cruelty?

I positively detested him with every fiber of my being. He was going to make me stand between himself and my family. I turned and glared at him. "I'm glad that I mean so much to you, you egotistic bastard."

He smiled at my outburst. "Yes, you're very useful to me. Don't worry. Nothing will happen to you, love. They wouldn't hurt their precious human. I'm counting on it."

Abruptly, his eyes focused on something in the distance. His features hardened into a horrifying mask. I turned to see what had captured his attention. I squinted into the diminishing light. Damn my human eyesight. I couldn't see anything in the distance. I could hear something, very faintly. Then, all of a sudden, Edward materialized not ten yards away from us.

I sucked in a ragged breath and stepped forward, forgetting all about James for the moment. "Edward…"

James jerked me backwards, pulling me quickly to his hard body. I gasped, shocked by impact on my body from slamming into his. He growled into my ear, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end.

"Stay right there, Bella. I'll only warn you once. Don't test me."

After James' display, Edward was full on growling. He was positively quivering with rage. He snarled, "Let her go, James. This is between the two of us. Be a man. Fight me."

James laughed hollowly. He pulled me closer until I was pushed against his body, with his front pressed against my back. He grasped my throat with one hand to hold me there flush against his granite body. He started playing with my hair with his other hand. I closed my eyes and shuddered, chilled by both his close proximity and the coolness of his body. He put his chin down on my shoulder turning his face so that every breath he took fanned across my neck. He took a deep breath inhaling my scent.

He said, "You are very fast, aren't you Edward? That's why you are alone. But you're wrong. You involved her in this. You brought her into our world. How does that make you feel? Knowing that it is your fault that she's here in danger. Knowing that it's your fault that I'm able to touch her like this."

His lips grazed my throat with every word he spoke and his hands were traveling south. He caressed my breast, brushing his cold fingers across my nipple. I squirmed and a tear escaped my eye. It rolled down my cheek as I twisted trying desperately to escape his grasp. James stopped its progress with his tongue and traced the path back to my eye. I was disgusted. I couldn't believe that he had the audacity to touch me like that right in front of Edward.

Edward looked downright murderous. If looks alone were enough to kill then James would be no more than a smoldering pile of ashes. He lowered himself into a crouch, preparing to attack. I knew what James was trying to do. He was trying to provoke Edward into a fight before the rest of his family arrived. James figured he could eliminate him before the others showed up.

Fear clogging my throat, I choked the words out. "Edward, don't! It's what he wants. Don't let him manipulate you!"

Edward's face was a mask of pain as he watched James' demonstration. He looked like he was at war with himself.

"Edward, please," I rasped out softly.

Finally, he straightened up and glanced behind him. The rest of his family appeared beside him. Each individual one wore an identical mask. Hatred and rage were apparent on each one of their beautiful faces. Rosalie in particular looked rather terrifying. It was almost odd. I knew she didn't like me. I was frightened and I wanted to go home but I had to warn them before it was too late. If this was a trap, they had to get themselves out. And they had to do it now.

James must have somehow sensed what I was going to do. His hand tightened on my throat to the point that I could barely draw a breath, much less speak. Each subsequent lungful of air became more and more difficult.

Carlisle stepped in front of his family. He looked pained as he spoke, "There is no need for violence, James. Let's talk like rational beings. We can work this out."

James chuckled darkly. I could feel the vibrations of his laugh rumbling against my back. I was terrified. My eyes darted from one face to another. I tried to communicate to them that they had to leave. Something wasn't right. I could sense it.

James said, "What is there to talk about? I know you didn't follow me all the way to Italy to talk. You know that too, don't you? So lets cut the bullshit. It appears that we are at an impasse. I have what you want. But she's not something that I will voluntarily give up."

I stared wide-eyed at my family. Each second that passed put them in more and more danger. Surely their lives were worth more than mine alone. I had to get the message through to them. I locked eyes with Edward silently pleading with him to hear me just this once. He glanced at Jasper and that's when I first felt it. A wave of lethargy washed over my body. It felt like I was going to pass out. I knew it was Jasper's doing as I felt my legs fold out from under me. I would have hit the ground if it wasn't for James hold on my throat. I felt James slump against the rock and his grip on my throat loosened. At the same time, I saw blurred images jumping towards James and myself.

It was all so confusing. There was so much hissing and growling. Not to mention that everyone was moving so fast that I couldn't track the movement with my human eyes. Someone pulled me from James' grasp and ran with me away from the fight. I looked up at my savior.

Alice.

She smiled at me. I tried to speak. I had to warn her. "Alice…"

She put her cool, wintry finger against my dry, chapped lips. "Shh…You're safe now, Bella."

She carried me to Esme. I cleared my throat. I said, "You don't understand. It's a…" I was interrupted by a high pitched keening wail and a gruesome ripping noise. I looked up to see James held in between Jasper and Emmett. His face was contorted with pain and fear. I'd never seen him look so vulnerable. It seemed that he was missing part of one arm. I saw Edward toss it aside to the ground. It landed with a dull thump.

I was a bit startled. This was a side to my vampires that I'd never witnessed. Edward was shaking with fury. Esme and Alice held me close as the scene played out.

"You thought that you could just waltz into our territory and take my daughter away from my family," Carlisle stated. "You were mistaken when you thought that you could get away with it." His speech was punctuated periodically by the same horrific noise as a piece of James' body was removed.

Rosalie had a built a fire and was tossing each piece into the blaze. Foul smelling smoke was beginning to clog the air making it even more difficult to breath. The shadows danced across their faces as they systematically destroyed him. James made no noise. He seemed resigned to his fate. Now all that remained was his torso and head.

Carlisle said, "I saved your head for last. I wanted you to witness the destruction of your body. No one messes with my family. It is the ultimate transgression in my eyes. It's too bad that you had to find out the hard way. I'm against violence in most situations but your crimes were extreme. The pits of hell are the only place you deserve to spend eternity in."

As soon as the last word fell from his lips Edward leapt forward and wrenched James' head from his body. He tossed it into the blaze and Carlisle kicked his torso in. He was gone.

I shuddered violently from the cooling air and the spectacle that I'd just witnessed. Edward walked slowly toward me with his hands raised. "Bella… I'm not going to hurt you."

He took me gently from Alice and pulled me close to his body. I breathed in his delicious essence and it calmed me instantly. I had missed him so much.

"Bella…" His cool, sweet breath fanned across my face as he leaned in to kiss me.

I held up my hand. "Stop." A look of confusion and distress flitted across his perfect face. He thought that I was rejecting him. I swallowed thickly. "Edward. It's not safe. It's a trap."

At that moment, Edward stiffened and turned. Aro came gliding through the smoke. He was flanked by ten other vampires that I recognized from before. Edward pushed me behind him protectively. He held my hand, tracing reassuring circles on my palm.

"Carlisle, my old friend. What a surprise. It's so good to see you once again. And with your lovely family. What happened here?" He gestured to the purple pillar of smoke that was clogging the air and swirling around their figures.

Carlisle cleared his throat and answered, " Aro. It has been too long my good friend. I trust things are well. Don't worry. It wasn't a major problem. Just a little something that we had to take care of. How are things with you and yours?"

Aro pinned his cloudy, crimson eyes on me causing my heart to beat wildly in fear as he answered, "I've been simply wonderful. Although recently, I've been told the most enchanting tale. A cronicle that I demand a full clarification on. A series of events that revolve around your dearest Bella."

He paused for a moment, regarding each of the Cullen's individually. His gaze lingered on Alice, Edward, and Jasper for a beat longer than the others. Then he returned his cold gaze to Carlisle. It was silent as they regarded each other. The only sound to be heard was the impossibly deafening thundering of my heart as it beat furiously with fear. I'm sure that they all could hear it. This was bad. This was very bad. The Cullen's glanced at each other apprehensively.

Another vampire with long, flowing black hair stepped up beside Aro. He put his fingertip to Aro's palm. Something seemed to flow between them. Whatever it was pleased Aro. He smiled, but there was nothing remotely warm in his expression. It was chillingly, sinister.

"That was very revealing. Thank you, Marcus."

Marcus swept back to his place in the line as Aro continued. "Let me explain. Marcus sees relationships. What he has just showed me is rather unexpected and disheartening. Carlisle, please enlighten me as to how a human came to become a member of your family?"


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Aro POV

I stood still, watching the Cullen's and waiting for a response to my question. Not that the answer mattered all that much. Whatever the circumstances may be, they broke the law. And they would have to face the consequences. I sighed inwardly as I wondered again how to deal with their transgression.

They were a remarkably gifted coven. It seemed like such a waste to destroy them, but I couldn't let them walk away unpunished. It would set a bad precedent. No, the law was clear. They would have to atone for their mistakes. It would be up to my brothers and myself how they would be punished. I knew in my mind what I wanted for their indiscretion but I knew that they would rebel against the idea. Edward had been turning me down for years. It would take some strong persuasion to get them to acquiesce to my demands.

I heard Edward growl low in the back of his throat. I chuckled at his antics. 'Calm down, Edward. I won't harm your human girl. But you need to control yourself. I can't have you attacking me in front of my guard. Felix has already expressed interest in making Bella his own mate and he is all too eager to take you out of the equation. You don't want that to happen, do you?'

I carefully concealed my thoughts after this. I didn't want to give away my plans yet. I didn't want them to have any time to come up with a defense. When we made our ruling, I wanted them to be put on the spot. It was the only way that I would get what I desired.

I waited for him to compose himself before I started with my own form of questioning. I did have to keep appearances. They didn't know that James had turned them in. They didn't know how much I knew and I wanted to keep them in the dark as long as possible. "Edward, perhaps I should start with you since your link with Bella is the strongest. Let me see your perspective of things."

I watched him murmur quietly to her. "Stay here love. Everything will be fine. I'll be alright."

He strode forward confidently and lifted his hand. I grasped it and was inundated with his thoughts. The impact that this unassuming human girl had on Edward was truly remarkable. She had changed him in every way. And the change was definitely for the better. She was Edward's singer as well. It was unheard of. I'd never come across the same human being a singer to two vampires. It was extremely bad luck on her part. It was miraculous that she was still standing here. Edward had shown amazing restraint around her. She smelled amazing to me. I can't imagine how Edward resisted the call for her blood nor did I understand why he didn't answer that call. Most of us would literally kill for just one taste of blood that was as sweet as her blood was to him. But yet, against the odds, there she stood. All a testament to Edward's amazing self control.

Another interesting tidbit, Bella was as silent to Edward as she was to me which frustrated him to no end. She was a first time experience for him as well. The only person since his creation that he hadn't been able to read. It made me more anxious to acquire her services for my guard.

I noticed that Bella, herself, was a remarkable creature. From what Edward had experienced, I gathered that she wasn't ever afraid of him or his family. Such a strange human. She never shied away from Edward's touch when most of her kind would have run screaming. Even Edward's display in the meadow didn't terrify her like it was meant to. I was simply intrigued with her. She was an enigma.

I was fascinated by what Edward thought of Bella. The first moment that he saw her, she captivated him. She was the first person in his existence that he couldn't read and that intrigued him. Then when he met her face to face, his obsession with unraveling why he couldn't hear her thoughts and the fact that it would bring shame to his family ultimately saved her life.

I saw how he fled to Alaska when he thought that he couldn't refuse the call of her blood. His eventual return and the way he tortured himself sitting in her room night after night watching her sleep.

Then the most damning evidence against him, he has stopped a van from crushing her. In front of a parking lot full of witnesses. That was extremely dangerous and risky. He could have exposed us all to the world. As it was, only the girl had witnessed his feat of speed and strength. How she had seen it with her human eyes was beyond me. Maybe she was just too perceptive for her own good. She eventually figured out the Cullen's secret on her own but that didn't absolve them of their guilt. Edward let her see too much. After the incident with the van, she should have been destroyed.

I saw the meeting that Carlisle had with his family to discuss the incident. It seemed that two of the Cullen siblings had wanted to kill the girl. Jasper , the empath and warrior and the stunningly beautiful Rosalie. Both thought what Edward had done was foolish. But Edward had stood his ground and said that he would fight for her. Oh, what to do, what to do? How do I approach this so I can gain what I desire?

I opened my eyes. I had all the testimony that I needed but my curiosity was getting the better of me. I wanted to hear Alice's thoughts. I wanted to know how her visions worked. I could use the additional information to refine my plan.

"Thank you Edward. That was most illuminating."

Edward kept his face passive as he stepped back. I could tell that he was frustrated because I was keeping my thoughts locked away. The tenseness of his jaw was telltale.

"Alice, my dear. Do you mind?"

"Not at all, Aro." She danced away from her fearsome looking mate across the ground separating our covens.

I grasped her tiny hand and closed my eyes. This little vampire was a lesson in contradictions. She remembered nothing of her human life. She awoke in this life alone. Whoever had created her had walked away and abandoned her. She could have turned into the most viscous creature since she had no guidance. Instead, she chose to let her visions be her guide. They led her to her mate and then they led her to the Cullen's and a different way of life.

I skipped over everything until she met Bella. Fascinating. Alice had visions of Bella before she met her. Before Bella had moved to Forks. She saw herself become best friends with Bella. She saw Edward's relationship evolve before it happened. She saw Bella become a vampire, although under much different circumstances. That was something that I would make happen, in the very near future.

Edward growled again, louder this time. 'Edward, control yourself. Remember, Felix is waiting for you to slip.' For whatever reason, Edward was against Bella becoming a vampire. Surely he realized that she would die sometime. Why wouldn't he want to be with her for eternity?

He fell silent once again and I continued my perusal of Alice's unique mind. The things that she has seen and the things that are still yet to occur. She would be an asset to the guard and an absolute joy to have around. She had a very infectious personality. Her joy seemed to transfer to others which is why it seemed natural that her mate would be an empath.

I noted that before James had taken Bella, her visions involving her were quite regular. Then after, most notably after James had bitten Bella, Alice's visions were hazy at best. No clear images of Bella or James. No wonder the Cullen's had walked straight into our trap. Bella's presence had rendered Alice blind, so to speak.

Interesting.

Could it be that his venom had strengthened her latent ability? If that was the case, this girl was going to be extremely powerful. A better shield than even my faithful, little Renata. She could possibly have the ability to shield the whole guard. I simply must have her and I do anything to make sure that the Cullen's would comply with my request.

Time to move on. I was really interested in Jasper as well. "Thank you, Alice. Your ability is really astounding. The things that you have seen and have yet to happen. That was simply delightful."

Alice smiled and said, "You are welcome, Aro. I'm glad you enjoyed it. She danced away back to her formidable looking lover, Jasper. He was beyond doubt a frightening looking vampire. Scars adorned every visible place on his body making him very intimidating. One could only imagine how many fights he had survived.

"Jasper, would you mind telling me your side of things?"

I waited patiently as he fearlessly stepped forward. He was confident in his abilities and as his memories flooded my mind I understood why. He was a civil war soldier by the age of seventeen. He'd been turned by Maria. Ah, Maria. That was a name that I recognized. No wonder he was riddled with scars. He'd fought in the southern vampire wars. He'd been Maria's general in her army. His ability to manipulate emotions had made him invaluable to her. Not only was he an empath but he was also a brilliant military strategist and tactician. He also had an over abundance of experience dealing with newborns. He would be an excellent addition to my guard.

As for the situation with Bella, I noticed that he stayed on the periphery. He wasn't as practiced as the others in controlling his bloodlust. He generally avoided direct contact with the girl.

"Thank you, Jasper. I must say that you have to be the most experienced fighter that I've ever come across. I'm impressed that you survived the Southern Wars. Many lives were lost during that dark time."

He nodded and returned to Alice's side. He was devoted to her. Wherever she went, he would follow.

I turned my attention to Bella. She looked pale and very sickly. James had certainly treated her very badly. I noticed that she was shivering. I couldn't risk her getting sick and ruining my plan. Plus, I genuinely cared about her wellbeing. She was a lovely girl.

"Carlisle, I've heard what I needed to hear. However, I must share my findings with my brothers. Then we must deliberate. I noticed that Bella is shivering. Perhaps we should adjourn to Volterra for the time being. We have some very comfortable rooms as I'm sure you remember. We also have a kitchen so that Bella can have something to eat. I imagine that it has been awhile since she has had anything in her stomach."

Carlisle seemed to consider my proposal. He said, "Alice…?"

She scrunched up her nose and whispered, "I don't know, Carlisle. Everything is hazy. Something is affecting my visions."

Finally, Carlisle said, "Alright, my old friend. We'll come with you to Volterra. This has been quite an ordeal for Bella and she needs rest. We appreciate your kindness."

I smiled. "Splendid. Follow me."

I turned with Renata and began to lead the way. I sent Jane and Alec to the rear of our procession to be sure that they didn't try to flee. They couldn't escape me now. Little did they know it, the Cullen's wouldn't be leaving Volterra. Not without losing a few members of their family.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Edward POV

My happiness and relief from Bella's rescue was short lived. It turned quickly into shock and disbelief when I heard the first thoughts from Aro and his guard. How had they known that we were here? More importantly, how in the world did Alice not see this?

I could tell from the timbre of her thoughts that she was as shocked as I was. She hadn't seen any of this. I stepped in front of Bella, trying to shield her from view. This was the definition of unfair. She had been through so much already. She really was a danger magnet. It seemed like no matter where she was the worst kind of trouble always found her. I took her hand in mine and rubbed circles on her palm. I wasn't sure if it was more for her benefit or my own. This change in events left me terrified for her safety. I couldn't see a way out of this.

I barely listened to Aro's monologue or Carlisle's response. My mind was only on how to get Bella out alive. She knew too much. To the Volturi, her life was automatically forfeit. There was no way that she had survived as much as she had to die here now. The very thought enraged me. I wouldn't allow it. There had to be something that I could do.

I focused on Aro. From his thoughts, I could see that he was extremely interested in Bella. He was careful to conceal why he was interested in her and how he knew so much about her. Then I gleaned a tidbit about using strong persuasion to get us to agree to something. The first thought that flew to my mind was that he would harm Bella.

I growled in warning, low in my throat. I would not let them harm her.

Aro laughed. Calm down, Edward. I will not harm your human girl. But you need to control yourself. I can't have you attacking me in front of my guard. Felix has already expressed interest in making Bella his own mate and he is all too eager to take you out of the equation. You don't want that to happen, do you?

I silenced myself, grudgingly. Damn Felix into the pits of hell, because that was exactly where he will end up if he so much as touches Bella. I found his figure amongst Aro's guard. A great big hulk of a vampire that was even bigger than Emmett. I focused on his mind. His thoughts centered on Bella and all the things that he wanted to do to her. It was all I could do to keep my features absent of emotion when someone was having such blatant thoughts about my mate. I couldn't let Bella fall into his hands. I returned my gaze to Aro.

He said, "Edward, perhaps I should start with you since your link with Bella is the strongest. Let me see your perspective of things."

I turned to Bella and squeezed her hand. "Stay here, love. Everything will be fine. I'll be okay." I was worried about her. She was so pale and thin. Her hands felt cooler to the touch than I remembered. She should be someplace warm and not out in the elements in the middle of a field in Italy.

I reluctantly left Bella's side and walked over to Aro. I lifted my hand to his and watched his face as he delved into my mind. His face was a blank slate; an emotionless mask as he read my memories. I listened closely to his mind. I needed some kind of warning as to what he was going to do so that I could plan around it. He was fascinated by my infatuation with Bella. La tua cantante he called her. My singer. Yes, she was my singer; mind, body, and soul. He was also intrigued by Bella's silent mind. I cursed myself inwardly. Nothing good could come from Aro's interest in Bella.

As my memories were picked over by Aro, I felt a tidal wave of guilt. This was entirely my fault. I had been weak and it may have sentenced us all to death. There was no way that I could hide my actions from Aro. He saw the way that I saved Bella from the van and my performance in the meadow when I was trying to make her stay away from me when I couldn't stay away from her.

But he wasn't giving anything away in his thoughts. He was keeping them carefully concealed from me. He had a veritable wall erected around his mind. Not even Alice was as adept at blocking her thoughts from me.

Suddenly, Aro's eyes opened. "Thank you, Edward. That was most illuminating."

I carefully kept my face blank as I took my spot next to Bella once again. I pulled her close and rubbed my hands along her arms to try and warm her. She was trembling, whether it was from fear or shock or cold, I did not know.

Aro directed his attention to Alice. He was obsessed with her and her gift. I could tell that he wanted her for the guard. He couldn't hide that from me. He said, "Alice, my dear. Do you mind?"

"Not at all, Aro," she said as she bounced gracefully over to him.

I watched Alice's memories flit through Aro's mind. Her first visions of Bella. The development of my relationship with Bella. How Bella was to become a vampire. I winced at the last vision and just barely caught Aro thinking that he was going to make that particular vision become a reality. I growled again, louder this time and Bella jumped beside me. I'd startled her.

Aro reprimanded me harshly through his thoughts. Edward, control yourself! Felix is waiting for you to slip."

At the same time, Alice was screaming at me in her mind. Stop it, Edward! You are making things worse!"

Across the clearing, Felix was leaning forward in anticipation. His thoughts entirely focused on my bloody death, his triumphant victory, and staking his final claim on Bella.

I turned to Bella and pulled her close. I had missed her so much. This was a complete mockery of the happy reunion that I had hoped for. I pushed my nose into her hair and breathed deeply delighting in the burn that flared in the back of my throat. She smelled slightly different than I remembered. Of course, his smell still clung to her, but I didn't care. This was something different. Something that I couldn't put my finger on.

I whispered gently into her ear, "I've missed you, Bella. More than you can ever know. It was like a piece of me went missing. Don't worry, love. I won't let anything happen to you."

She looked up at me and smiled her sweet smile that still lit up her face, but I noticed the sadness in her eyes. Their ever present sparkle was gone. She looked haunted now. I vowed that she would be happy again. No matter what I had to do to accomplish it. "I missed you, too. Edward, I'm sorry that I got you all involved in this."

I shook my head. What was she thinking? How could she blame herself? Again, I cursed my inability to read her mind. "Bella," I said gently. "Listen to me. This is not your fault. Please, don't blame yourself. We will get through this together." I squeezed her hand again and focused on Aro once more.

He had moved on to Jasper. It didn't escape my notice that Aro was concentrating his attention on the most powerful members of my family. The ones with extra gifts. What was he playing at? His thoughts were still locked up tight. I was growing more and more suspicious.

I tried the minds of the other members of his guard. They, too, had their thoughts blocked from me. All except Felix, who was still thinking about Bella. What were they concealing? How had Felix become so fascinated with Bella so quickly after seeing her?

I shifted back to Aro. He was thinking about Bella, too. He was concerned about her. I didn't know how to feel about the fact that he was worried about her. I was conflicted. I was happy that he realized her needs but I was suspicious of his motives. What was in it for him?

He intoned, "Carlisle, I've heard what I needed to hear. However, I must share my findings with my brothers. Then we must deliberate. It could take some time. I noticed that Bella is shivering. Perhaps we should adjourn to Volterra in the meantime. We have some very comfortable rooms as I'm sure you remember. We also have a kitchen so that Bella can have something to eat. I imagine that it has been awhile since she has had anything in her stomach."

Carlisle was leery of Aro's offer. He knew firsthand how Aro operated and he was sure there was another reason for Aro's generosity.

He said, "Alice…?"

She made a face and replied, "I don't know, Carlisle. Everything is hazy. Something is affecting my visions."

She was terribly upset about this. She was shouldering the blame for us even being in this situation. There had to be something happening for it to affect her visions so strongly. Maybe Carlisle had some insight.

Carlisle himself was torn about what to do. He quickly weighed the pros and cons. If he refused, we might be executed where we stood. It wouldn't do to turn down an invitation from Aro.

Finally he said, "Alright, my old friend. We'll come with you to Volterra. This has been quite an ordeal for Bella and she needs rest. We appreciate your kindness."

Aro smiled, "Splendid. Follow me."

I noticed as he sent Alec and Jane to the rear to block our escape. I was very apprehensive as I scooped Bella up into my arms and started to run with the others. Whatever Aro was planning and deliberately blocking from me couldn't be good. I analyzed his concern for Bella. While it seemed genuine, it was disconcerting. Everything that he did was always to his benefit in some way. Aro was self serving above everything else.

We arrived in Volterra in a matter of minutes. The proximity of the spot that James had chosen to face us in and Volterra was another cause for concern. It couldn't have been entirely coincidental. Did he realize how close he was to the Volturi? We filed into a brightly lit lobby; the business end of the Volturi's façade. Passing the receptionist, whom I noted was decidedly human, we were split into two groups and piled into an elevator. Once we were on the lower level, Aro turned and addressed his guard.

"Alec, Jane. Please show our guests to their rooms and make sure that they are comfortable. Carlisle, I must take my leave, my brothers and I have much to discuss. I will send for you when we have reached an agreement." He turned and a moment later was gone.

Jane said, "This way, please."

We followed her down a long corridor. There was a series of doors on the right side. She opened the first door. The room was richly furnished. There was even a small kitchen. I was confused about the kitchen. After all, the entire Volturi consisted of vampires. Why would they need the use of a kitchen?

Jane said, "The next few rooms are for your use as well. I must ask that you don't leave this corridor. You aren't prisoners here but Aro is known for swift decisions and he would be very put out if he had to send Demetri after you."

I disregarded her words immediately. We were very much prisoners. She would be waiting at the end of the hall with her brother watching to make sure that we didn't try to escape. I locked eyes with Alice and then looked at Carlisle.

He said, "Of course, Jane. Thank you for your hospitality." She merely nodded and walked away briskly, her brother following behind.

I carried Bella into the room and laid her on the bed gently. She had fallen asleep almost as soon as I had picked her up. I was so worried about her. She looked so fragile. Her skin felt so much cooler to the touch. I covered her up afraid she was catching a cold. I sat next to her and ran my hands through her hair. I couldn't keep my hands off of her. I needed to feel her to believe that she was really here with me and not just a figment of my imagination.

I sighed, feeling defeated. "Carlisle, what are we going to do?" I spoke softly, not wanting to disturb Bella.

He looked dismal as he contemplated how to answer. His thoughts were as sullen as his face. "I don't know, son. I'm getting a very bad vibe about this. Aro doesn't take the law lightly and we have crossed the line. They are not known for having compassion and showing leniency. All we can do is hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Just have faith that everything will work itself out."

He looked thoughtful for a minute before he continued. "What I really don't understand is how concerned he was about Bella's well being. The law demands that she be destroyed and yet he was worried that she was cold and when she'd last eaten. Did he have a motive, Edward?"

Carlisle's thoughts mirrored Aro's. He was thinking that Bella needed to be woke up so that he could examine her and so that she could eat. He was as worried as Aro had been. I shook my head. "That's just it Carlisle. He was blocking his thoughts for the most part. In fact, your concern for Bella in your thoughts just now mirrored his perfectly. He was concerned for her. He didn't think about why he was concerned. And it wasn't just him. The entire guard was blocking their thoughts, except Felix."

I spat his name through my teeth, angry again over his thoughts about Bella. "His thoughts would put you to shame, Emmett. They were so vulgar. He was thinking about Bella and how he was going to kill me so that he could be her mate. The only thing that Aro let slip was his interest in why I couldn't read Bella's mind. He thought about using some form of persuasion against us. I inferred that he meant harming Bella though he didn't directly have that thought."

Carlisle seemed to be reading my mind this time. He was suspicious of the reasons that the guard had for blocking their thoughts from me. It wasn't natural for the everyday person to go around blocking their mind. Aro must have told them to, but why? He also concluded that Aro's interest in Bella was alarming.

"Aro's actions are certainly suspicious, but what about Alice's malfunctioning visions? Alice, you didn't see any of this?"

She shook her head sadly, cradled in Jasper's arms. She was an emotional mess, even with Jasper's power. The only thing keeping her from having a complete meltdown was his calming influence and the strain was written all over his face. Guilt was etched into all of her thoughts. She blamed herself for the precariousness of our situation. "No, Carlisle. I have not had a clear vision since the one that I had of James and Bella at the airport. Everything since then has been indistinct. I'm not sure how, but I'm convinced that someone or something is blocking my visions."

Rosalie spoke up, "So you can't see how this is going to end?" She looked frightened. Guilt twisted uncomfortably in my gut. I had caused this.

Alice's eyes lost focus for a moment and then she answered, "No, Rose. I can't see the outcome of this or what Aro's decision will be."

Jasper caught my eye and arched his eyebrow. Why the sudden surge of guilt, Edward? This isn't your fault.

"Yes, Jasper, this is entirely my fault. Alice, please stop blaming yourself. I couldn't stay away. I couldn't be strong enough to leave. I wasn't strong enough to protect her from James. Now, due to my weaknesses, we are prisoners to Aro's every whim." I put my head in my hands in shame.

Carlisle laid his hand on my shoulder. "Son, this is not your fault and we don't blame you. We'll come together as a family and face this head on like any other challenge. I don't regret that you found Bella. She has brought all of us so much happiness and despite her status as a human, she belongs with us."

I looked up at my family. Their thoughts were all encouraging, even Rosalie. Which surprised me. She was always so hostile to me, especially since I met Bella. I smiled gratefully at them.

Carlisle began to pace, trying to strategize. "We need a plan. Edward, can we leave undetected?"

I grimaced, "No. Despite Jane's words, we are prisoners. She and Alec are waiting at the end of the hall to make sure that we don't leave. Not only that, Demetri would find us. He is a tracker like James but infinitely more powerful. It would only sign our death warrants."

Carlisle tapped his chin. "Let's wake Bella up. I really need to examine her and she needs to eat. I also have a feeling that she knows something more about this. She tried to warn us that James had set a trap."

I agreed with Carlisle and it would ease my mind just a bit if Carlisle checked her out. She had been through so much and there was no telling what kind of injuries that she might have sustained. I was scared to wake her up. I didn't want her to think that I was him. Who knows what he had subjected her to?

I settled with touching her shoulder tenderly. "Bella?" I shook her lightly when she didn't respond and she startled awake. Her breath was coming in short gasps and her eyes were wide and fearful. Her reaction made me feel like such a shit. I'd frightened her. "Bella, please forgive me. I didn't mean to scare you."

She clutched the blanket, her body trembling slightly. She said softly, "Don't apologize, Edward. You didn't do anything wrong. James….he…. It's my fault that I overreacted."

I took her hands in mine, frowning when her hands didn't feel ant warmer than before. Shouldn't she have warmed up some by now? James drank too much from her. Bastard. She didn't have enough blood to warm her body. Worry coursed through my body and dread clenched in my silent heart.

"Bella," I said soothingly squeezing her hands, "This is not your fault. Please try to understand that."

She shook her head, tears welling up in her soulful eyes. "No, Edward. I was stupid. I went to meet him. I didn't wait for you. Now you all are here with them."

My heart ached for my beautiful, broken girl. This was going to take awhile for her to overcome but I would fix her. She deserved no less.

Carlisle put his finger under her chin and tilted her head so that he could look her in the eyes. "Bella, sweetie, we understand why you did what you did. We know how much your family means to you, but you must understand that your response to James has no bearing with the Volturi."

She sobbed loudly and I pulled her onto my lap and further into my embrace. I rocked back and forth trying to calm her. I couldn't stand to see her hurting so much.

She cleared her throat after a moment, "Carlisle, James has everything to do with the Volturi. When we got to Italy, he brought us here. He met with Aro. Nothing much was spoken between them. He touched James' hand and then he held my hand. Then he said he had to meet with his brothers. When he returned he asked James to help lure you to the countryside. From his choice of words, I thought it was a trap. I tried to warn you, but James stopped me." Her hand unconsciously rubbed her neck as she remembered how he had stopped her. James' handprint was plainly printed on her pale flesh.

We were shocked by Bella's revelation. James had brought her here. Aro had touched her. Carlisle resumed his pacing. "Bella, did Aro say anything at all when he touched you?"

Her eyebrows scrunched together as she tried to remember. She said, "He didn't say anything to me specifically but he did say the name Jane."

I was horrified. He had tested Jane's gift on her. Carlisle was equally disturbed. He had come to the same conclusion. "Did anything happen after he said that name?"

She looked confused and I couldn't blame her. She had no idea why Carlisle was asking her these questions. "No, Carlisle. Nothing happened. He just looked at me and went to talk to his brothers. I'm confused. Please tell me what is going on?"

Carlisle took her hand in his and I felt his shock at finding her hand so cool to the touch. It concerned me even more. "Bella, Aro can read thoughts like Edward. Only his gift requires him to touch you to hear you and he hears every thought that you have ever had not just what you are thinking at the time. I believe that your mind was silent to him like it is to Edward. I believe that he was testing you."

She said, "Oh, so that is what he was doing in the field. He was reading your thoughts."

Carlisle got up and resumed his pacing a frown settling onto his features. "Yes, that was what he was doing. This changes everything. Aro must be after more than just upholding the law. Why else would he turn on James? Luckily enough for us, he did. We would have died in that field otherwise. Bella, honey, are you hungry? When did you eat last?"

She bit her lip and said, "I don't know, Carlisle. Before we came to Italy. I didn't really know how much time was passing."

I cursed, inwardly. That bastard. Feeding from her and ignoring her own needs. Carlisle expression was severe and his mind was screaming profanities. I was shocked because Carlisle was always the picture of self control. "Emmett, see what you can find in the kitchen for Bella." He smiled widely and raced off at vampire speed for the kitchen. He was happy to be doing something for Bella.

Carlisle turned back to Bella. "I hate to ask you this, Bella, but I need to examine you. If it makes you uncomfortable, Rosalie or Edward could do it. They have both been to medical school."

Bella said, "No, Carlisle. It's fine. I trust you."

He smiled, "Okay, sweetie. Just lay on the bed and I'll be right back." He pulled us all into the kitchen. "I don't think Bella will be comfortable having everyone there. Jasper and Alice can help make Bella some food. Esme and Rosalie, run her a bath. I know she will want to clean up. Edward, you can stay with her. She needs you."

I breathed a sigh of relief. I was positive that he was going to make me leave, too. We returned to the bedroom. Bella was laying stiffly on the covers. I reached fro her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Carlisle explained what he was going to do. "Bella, this is going to be basic as I don't have the necessary tools. It will be enough for now. Do you feel any pain anywhere? Anything that feels out of place or abnormal?"

"I'm cold, like I can't get warm. My throat hurts."

Carlisle moved her hair away from her neck and I got a good look at the bruises that James had caused. His fingers traced the silvery crescent shaped scar that James had left on her. It was almost completely healed. Carlisle was blocking his thoughts from me and apprehension bubbled in my mind. He put his hands on either side of her skull and gently tilted it side to side. "Does this hurt?"

"No, it feels fine. The pain is more in the throat area."

Carlisle's eyebrows furrowed at this information. "Can you breathe okay?"

"Yes."

He moved to her arms. James had cut her several times so that he could feed. Nothing was very deep. Just enough to make her bleed. Seeing the results of his sadistic tendencies made me want to kill him all over again.

I heard Carlisle's worry over how cool she was to the touch. I had definitely noticed her change in temperature too. He didn't voice his worries. He didn't want to scare her. "Bella, you seem to be okay but I want to be sure. Once we leave, I want to go get you x-rayed to make sure that you don't have any broken bones. For now, do you want a bath?"

Her face brightened. "Yes, that sounds wonderful."

He smiled warmly at her. "Good. Esme and Rosalie will help you."

She stood and walked over to the bathroom. As soon as the door shut, I rounded on Carlisle. Keeping my voice quiet so that Bella couldn't hear me I demanded, "What is wrong with her? You are keeping something from me."

Carlisle raked his hand through his hair and sighed, "I'm not sure, Edward. It's only a theory. Did you notice how cool she was to the touch?"

I nodded my head. I had definitely noticed.

He continued, "We know that James has fed from her. I think his venom has mixed with her blood. It has kept her alive. Her body temperature has to be significantly lower for her to feel that cool. What happens when a person's body temperature is too low?"

"Hypothermia sets in."

"Correct. Does Bella look hypothermic?"

"No." It couldn't be, but it would also explain why she smelled differently.

"I don't think she has enough venom in her to change her just yet. But I believe that it has done something to her. Her body temperature is lower, she complained that her throat hurt, and I think that it enhanced whatever gift that she has. I believe that she has been the one affecting Alice's visions. Aro suspects it too, I'd wager. That is why he so interested. The fact that he tried to read her mind and his subsequent interest proves it."

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. There was only one more question. One that I was afraid to ask because I knew that I wasn't going to like his answer. "What will happen to her, Carlisle?"

His face was bleak and his eyes held a look of despair. "She's dying, Edward. Slowly. Even if she had a blood transfusion it would only prolong the inevitable. She'll have to be changed soon if you don't want to lose her for good."

My body sagged to the floor in defeat. How could she ever forgive me for failing her at such epic proportions? I had fallen short on so many things. The one thing that I had wanted to prevent was going to happen for I couldn't stand to lose her. I had lost her once and I didn't want to lose her again.

"Are you going to tell her, Carlisle?"

He looked pained for a moment. "I think she has a right to know, but I think we should wait until we get her home. She has enough stress right now without adding this to it."

We turned as the bathroom door opened. Bella came out followed by Rosalie and Esme. She looked so much better than before. She wasn't as tense and her face was happier. Whatever Rosalie and Esme had done, it had worked wonders on Bella. I was suddenly very grateful for their presence in my life. Bella sat on the bed as Emmett brought her breakfast.

He made such a show of it that Bella laughed out loud. You would think that he thought he was Emeril Lagasse or something. It looked like Emmett had a new hobby. He placed the tray on the bed beside Bella. He smiled widely at her. "There wasn't much to choose from but I made you oatmeal and toast. I'll cook you a giant breakfast when we get home."

She smiled back at him. "I'm going to hold you to that. French toast is sounding excellent right now. But this smells good. Thanks, Emmett."

Carlisle locked eyes with me. Look at her eyes, Edward.

I did as he asked and was shocked by what I saw. They had the faintest traces of red in them. Not enough that she could see yet but I could. She didn't have much time left.

Just as Bella was finishing her oatmeal, I heard thoughts coming from the hallway followed by sharp knocks on the door.

Jane and Alec.

Carlisle opened the door. "Jane, lovely to see you again."

She smiled sweetly, "Carlisle, Aro is ready for you and your family. Follow me, please."

I took Bella's hand and followed my family, praying to the heavens that everything would be okay. Praying that we would survive to see another day.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Aro POV

After our return to Volterra, I retired to my study. I had to plan carefully to get things to work out the way I wanted them to. I had to maneuver it so that Bella joined the guard. If she didn't, her life was inescapably surrendered. I wouldn't be able to override my brothers on that point. I may be the leader here for all intents and purposes, but they would not bend the rules.

If I somehow convinced Bella to join us, the chances of acquiring the rest of the Cullen's would increase exponentially. But it wouldn't be easy. I knew that Edward wouldn't let her do anything foolish. He didn't want her to be a vampire at all, whether it be to join my guard or even his own family. I still had a hard time wrapping my mind around this fact. Why wouldn't he want her to join him in immortality?

I sat in my chair and pondered, my hands folded under my chin. This was proving very tough indeed. I knew that Bella was the key to my desires. But it was all so frustrating. I hadn't been able to access her thoughts. I knew next to nothing about the girl. I couldn't tell if she desired immortality or if her experiences were enough to leave her disillusioned about what this life was about. All I knew was what I'd read from third party sources. Not nearly as reliable as the source itself and I'd like to have some inkling about how she felt about things before I presented her with any sort of ultimatum. I couldn't use Edward's thoughts either. His gift was as useless as mine when it came to Bella.

I closed my eyes, recalling her image.

Bella.

Beautiful in Italian. It suited her well. From what I'd seen and gathered from those that knew her, she had a beautiful soul to go with her pretty face. She was the package deal. It was ironic how I'd searched the world over for talent such as hers and then James comes waltzing in with the prize.

I heard the door open and I greeted my brother without opening my eyes. "Marcus."

"Aro. Are you sure you know what you are doing?"

I opened my eyes and looked across the desk at my brother. Arching one eyebrow I answered him. "Of course I know what I am doing."

He sighed, "Their bonds are strong, Aro. The strongest that I have ever seen. It is not just couples tied to each other as mates either. They are all linked to one another. I've never seen anything like it." He reached out and touched my hand to emphasize his point.

He was right, their bonds were stronger and more complex than anything that I had ever come across. I frowned slightly. It seemed that Chelsea would not be able to affect their bonds to one another if it came down to that. It could prove very problematic. It could work in our favor as well.

"You're right, brother. Their bonds are strong. But I believe that there is a way to use that strength to our advantage. They were all bonded together as a family before Bella. Since she entered their lives, they have bonded to her strongly and she in turn has strengthened the bonds of their family. She is the anchor, the cement that glues them all together. She made them whole, made them complete. Even after knowing her for such a short time, she meant enough that they went traipsing around the globe to kill a vampire that took her away. She is supposed to be our natural source of food, and yet they love her entirely. They will follow her if she joins us."

Caius appeared in the doorway. "You sound sure of this, Aro."

I flashed a look of annoyance at my other brother. Caius was always questioning me. He was by far the most ruthless between the three of us.

"Yes, brother, I'm positive. I think it is one of Bella's many talents. It is too bad that Eleazer is not with us any more so I could confirm my theory. Bella is magnetic, attracting people's affection easily. Whether it be friendship, familial, or intimate; she draws you in. I've felt the pull that she has. Why should I be concerned for her well being? She is just a human. The tracker, James, didn't understand the hold that she had on him. He was the most vicious creature that I have ever seen and yet she meant enough o him that he could feed from his singer and not drain her dry. Edward is the same. The call for her blood is so strong and yet he restrains himself out of love for her. Also from his thoughts, there are four human males that all imagine themselves to be in love with her. And what of Felix? You heard him ranting and raving after I allowed James to leave with her. I don't think that it is all coincidence."

Caius took the seat next to Marcus. "Perhaps you are right, but how do we manipulate that to our advantage?"

I leaned back in my chair and regarded my brothers. "Well, the easiest way would be to use the girl herself. From what I gathered, she is quite selfless. James was able to get to her by telling her that he had her mother. He used her fear that he would harm the Cullen's and manipulated her to come to him alone. She met him to exchange her life for the life of her mother. Bella was willing to sacrifice herself for her mother. She will do the same for the Cullen's, especially Edward."

Marcus said, " It's a good idea. How are we going to accomplish it?"

I smiled, "It will be all too simple. Edward will be the catalyst and I know he will play right into my plan. Let me handle the details, brothers. Just be sure that you follow my lead. We'll have what we desire before nightfall."

We rose and adjourned to the throne room. We took our seats and I called my tracker.

"Demetri."

"Yes, master."

"Please inform Jane and Alec that we are ready for the Cullen's."

Bella POV

I walked nervously beside Edward as we followed the rest of his family to meet with Aro. My stomach twisted uncomfortably as fear shot through my body. I glanced up at Edward, seeking reassurance, but he wouldn't look me in the eye. Something was wrong. He was keeping something from me.

I desperately wanted to ask him, but there were ears all around us. I chewed my lip as I tried to figure out what he was hiding. I don't think that it had anything to do with the Volturi. No, it was something else. Something bigger.

He squeezed my hand and I looked up at him once more. He smiled at me but it didn't reach his eyes. I could see his sadness there in the dark depths. I was worried about him. It had been too long since he had last hunted.

Finally, unable to take the suspense any longer, I murmured, "Edward, what is wrong? You are hiding something from me."

I gazed up at him, trying to read his emotions on his flawless face as he answered. "Nothing, love. I'm just a little anxious."

I didn't believe him for one second, even as he smiled his crooked, little smile trying to dazzle me. He pulled my hand to his silky lips and kissed my knuckles. He succeeded in distracting me as I was puzzled by the temperature of his lips. They didn't feel nearly as cold as they normally do. In fact, they felt close to the temperature of my own hand.

We followed Jane around a corner into another hallway. We walked for what seemed like forever. I was getting really tired quickly. How big was this place? She turned again and we entered a large, circular room that was made of stone. There were three thrones and seated on each one was a vampire. It was the trio from the painting in Carlisle's study come to life.

I scanned the room nervously. There must be over thirty vampires lining the walls, all with blood red eyes. I remembered them from before when James brought me here. Jane and Alec joined the others, leaving us standing in the center of the room.

I swallowed convulsively, wincing as I did so. My throat really hurt. Not only did it feel like my heart had taken up permanent residence there but it also felt like it was on fire. Seriously, I had strep throat once but it was nothing compared to this.

We stood in a semi-circle facing the three ancient vampires. I shifted apprehensively as Aro regarded me with his strange eyes. He stood up and stepped closer to us.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are convened here for very unfortunate circumstances. As you all well know, there is only one law amongst us vampires. Keep the secret. Never, under any circumstances, revel the truth about your nature."

He paused as his eyes swept over each one of us. His gaze landed on Edward and he stiffened ever so slightly beside me.

"Edward Cullen, you have broken our law. You saved Bella from being crushed in front of a parking lot full of human witnesses. That was extremely reckless. Luckily for all of us, she was the only one that saw your feat of strength. As for the girl, she knows what we are. What if she were to tell?"

I cleared my throat painfully. "I would never…"

He silenced me with a wave of his hand. "She knows and you have no desire to change her. Would you take her life if she decided to leave you? I think not."

Edward growled and said, "You have a few human employees in your charade here, Aro. I don't see any difference."

Aro smiled as Caius answered, "Yes, but we will either turn them or they will serve to sustain us. You have no such designs with your Bella."

Aro sat back down. "We have established that you have broken the law. The only question is, what do we do with you now?"

Marcus huffed impatiently, "You already know what you are going to do, Aro."

Caius cut in, "She knows too much. She is a liability."

Aro looked pensive for a moment. Then he answered, "That is true." Then he sighed deeply and looked at me regretfully.

No.

"Felix."

My heart palpitated wildly as an icy wave of terror engulfed my aching body. Edward snarled horribly and flipped me behind his back.

Edward crouched low to the ground and I watched in horror as he leapt on Felix. I was so frightened as Felix was easily twice Edward's size. He was even larger than Emmett. I stood frozen, rooted to the spot, terrified that something was going to happen to Edward.

Their bodies collided with a thunderous crash and they toppled to the ground. The force from the impact caved in the hard, marble flooring around them. Edward hit Felix over and over but just as I felt hope that Edward would be okay, Felix smiled chillingly. He was enjoying this. He kicked Edward in the stomach launching his body across the room. I was horror-struck when Felix ran across the room and grabbed Edward's throat slamming him into the floor. The floor buckled and exploded around him.

"Edward!"

Tears were flowing freely down my face now. Felix was going to kill him. I looked over at the rest of Edward's family. Why weren't they helping him? They looked like they were statues, not even watching the fight that was raging around them. Unmoving and unblinking, they weren't even breathing. I touched Alice's face curiously.

"Alice?"

She didn't acknowledge me. She didn't look at me. Her eyes were glazed over. I was sure that she couldn't see me. I looked closer at my new family. They all looked the same. What was wrong with them?

I turned back to the fight when I was sure that they would be of no help. Miraculously, Edward had pinned Felix to the floor once more. I turned my eyes to the ancients. They were looking on with amusement. I could see Aro whispering to Jane. Amazingly, I heard what he said.

"Stop him, dear one."

She looked at Edward and suddenly he dropped to the floor writhing. His eyes were screwed shut and his jaw clenched tight. I could tell he was in unbearable pain.

I screamed, "Stop it! You're hurting him!"

Jane smiled menacingly, "That's the point."

Something snapped inside of me and I growled, launching myself in front of Edward. Wait. Did I just growl? Things began clicking into place in my mind. The burn in my throat, the change in temperature, and the enhanced hearing. Like a puzzle taking shape, I could finally see the big picture. I knew what Edward was hiding from me.

Edward stilled behind me. He sat up and looked up at me, panic written all over his face. He stood and tried to move me behind him.

"No, Edward. It's time that we finished this."

Aro stood up from his throne, clapping. "Yes, that was very entertaining, but now it's time for you both to die."

I stood in front of Edward still blocking whatever it was that Jane was doing to him. I stared murderously at both her and Felix. Rage oozed from every pore. Anger that had built up from the time that I spent with James bubbled to the front of my consciousness. Remembering the horrible things that he had done to me and the helplessness that I felt, I focused on Jane and Felix. They were trying to do what James did. They were trying to take me away from Edward again. Didn't I deserve happiness? Have I not suffered enough? Didn't Edward deserve a happy ending? The rage built until I felt like a volcano ready erupt.

Felix advanced on us from across the room. I felt my anger expand until it encompassed my entire being. It was pulsing, singing in my veins. I could taste it. Edward was still trying to pull me behind him but I wouldn't have it. It was time that I stood up for myself.

Felix made it about halfway to us when I exploded. I unleashed my fury and it sent a shockwave through the air. It shimmered through the air and smashed into Felix and Jane sending them flying through the air. Looks of surprise graced their features as they slammed into the wall, obliterating the rough stones into dust.

What the hell was that?

Edward looked at me in astonishment. I turned toward Aro, energy pulsing around my body. Feeling the energy drain from my body, I knew that I couldn't repeat what I had just done right away. Edward was going to be angry very angry with me, but it was the only thing that I could think to do. It was a long shot, but I had to try.

I addressed the ancient. "Aro, might I suggest a compromise."

He waved for me to continue.

"I propose an exchange, a trade if you will. I will exchange my human life for the lives of Edward and his family. I wouldn't be human any more and the law would be satisfied."

Edward was incredulous. "Bella, what are you doing?"

I said quietly, "Saving your life, for once."

Aro looked thoughtful, considering my proposition. Then he said, "That doesn't sound like a very fair exchange. You're talking exchanging seven lives for one. No, I require much more. I will need you to join my guard, as well as the rest of your family."

Bastard. That was something that I didn't want to do and I sure couldn't decide something like that for the Cullen's.

"I can't speak for what they want, but I will join your guard if it saves their lives."

Edward spun me around to face him. "Bella, you can't. I won't let you sacrifice yourself for me."

I smiled sadly at him, suddenly feeling very tired. I cupped his cheek in my hand and caressed it softly. "Edward, it's the only way. I'm already dying."

Shock bloomed across his sculpted features. "Don't look so shocked. I know it. I can feel it. It doesn't make sense for you all to perish because of me when I'm already fading."

I turned back to Aro fighting to stay standing. I'd expended too much energy. "I agree to join your guard but I have a few requests. I want Edward to be the one to change me and I want to follow their diet. I don't want to feed from humans."

He smiled broadly, "Agreed."

My knees gave out and Edward caught me before I crumpled to the floor.

"Bella!"

I smiled up at him. "I'm so tired, Edward. I feel like I could sleep forever." I kissed him softly and then my vision tunneled and the blackness encompassed me in its gentle embrace.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Edward POV

I carried Bella's prone body back to the room so that Carlisle could check her out again. I was absolutely beside myself with worry. Bella felt even cooler to the touch than she did before we met with Aro. I could hardly tell the differences in the temperature of our bodies now. Alice opened the door and I went in and put Bella down gently on the bed.

Carlisle looked grim as he examined my love. His mind was silent as he checked Bella's pulse and her breathing. He lifted her eyelids and looked at her pupils. I noticed that her eyes were no longer a beautiful chocolate brown but a dark, burgundy color.

I winced as Carlisle confirmed my worries. "You're going to have to change her soon Edward. She's slipping away."

"How long?," I whispered brokenly.

"By tomorrow night, if not earlier. It's not something that you should gamble on, son."

I sat on the bed and put my head in my hands. How could this angel ever forgive me? I didn't protect her and even though we did rescue her from James, she was going to suffer the consequences of that failure for all eternity. In a way, he had succeeded in taking her life like he had originally planned.

Alice sat on the bed next to me and pulled me into her arms. Uncharacteristically, I took the comfort that she was offering me. I felt completely dejected. I could feel the peace and serenity that Jasper had infused the room with.

Alice said, "Don't beat yourself up, Edward. I know you. Always so self depreciating and quick to blame yourself. Bella wants this. She wants to be with you forever."

I laughed bitterly. "Yeah, forever. Forever a slave to Aro and his whims. Not my idea of a happy ending."

Jasper growled menacingly, "Don't be so hard on her, Edward. None of us wanted to join the guard. You knew what the choice was; join or die. I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to die. We need to stick together. Our bonds are strong. I think Aro underestimates how strong they are. I'm sure that together we'll find a way to get out. He won't be able to keep us here forever."

Carlisle said, "You're right, Jasper. I suspect that Aro will use Chelsea to try to break our bonds as a family and bend our loyalty to him. We must stand strong and present a united front. Together we stand, divided we fall. We must stand behind each other one hundred percent. This fighting amongst each other will get us nowhere."

He pulled Esme into his arms as he concluded his speech. Alice released me and bounded over to Jasper. Emmett and Rosalie were wrapped in each others embrace. I looked up at my family as they reassured and comforted each other. I remembered in years past that I would have been the outcast amongst them. Alone with no one to comfort or lean on. I looked at Bella as she slept peacefully. I caressed her cheek gently, hating that I was going to hurt her. She was so beautiful with her dark hair fanned out beneath her. She looked like an angel sent from the heavens.

I looked back at my family wondering how we would get through this. Aro will never let us leave. Not willingly. Guilt weighed me down, pulling me into the pits of despair. Just that one act of saving Bella's life had caused so much conflict and pain. There were so many consequences for my actions. So many lives had been irrevocably altered. I had acted selfishly, but I didn't regret it. If I had the chance to do everything again, I would still choose to save her. I couldn't imagine myself without her. I had lived ninety years before I met her and yet I felt like I had lived more since I met her than I had for the decades before she became a presence in my life. She gave my life meaning, gave me a reason to live.

I stroked Bella's hair, luxuriating in its soft texture. She still hadn't woken up. I was afraid that she might not wake up before I had to change her. I would like her to know what was going on. It would be overly cruel for her to wake up in unbearable pain and not know what the cause was.

My mind wandered back to the events in the throne room. I was confused and amazed. Bella had thrown Felix and Jane across the room with only her mind it seemed. I looked to my father for answers.

"Carlisle, could you see anything while I was fighting Felix?"

He shook his head. "No, Edward. Alec's gift cuts you off from all your senses. No sight, touch, hearing, smell, or anything for that matter. Why do you ask?"

"Something happened while I was fighting Felix. He was going to kill Bella. Aro ordered it. I knew it was hopeless. How could I take on the entire guard by myself? I guess Aro was feeling somewhat charitable as he let me fight Felix fair at first. Bella was trying to wake you up. I had Felix pinned and Aro unleashed Jane on me." I paused and shuddered, remembering how it felt like my flesh was being torn from my body in strips. It was the most agonizing pain that I had felt since my change.

I took a deep, unnecessary breath and continued, "I fell to the floor. The pain was so intense, unlike anything that I had ever experienced. It was intolerable. I couldn't even draw a breath. I was terrified that while I lay there immobile that Felix would carry out Aro's orders and kill Bella. Then it stopped. Just like a switch flipping off a light. When I sat back up, Bella was standing in front of me. She was standing between Jane and I, blocking that terrible gift. It didn't affect her at all. I tried to push her behind me before Felix attacked again. She would be killed if he did. But she wouldn't budge. I mean, she's still human. I should have easily been able to pull her behind me but she wouldn't move."

Jasper said, "That's not possible. She shouldn't be that strong already."

I said, "That's not even the half of it, Jasper. I wish you could have seen her. She was so angry that I could feel it pulsing in the air around her like electricity. The look on her face frightened me. The it was like a bubble exploding away from her. I can't hardly describe it. It was like an energy shockwave of some sort. Whatever she did, it sent Felix and Jane flying across the room. Carlisle, what did she do?"

Carlisle's eyebrows were nearly in his hairline as he studied Bella, turning over possibilities in his mind.

Emmett said, " You're serious. She threw them across the room with her mind. That is kick-ass! She is going to be bad-ass vamp!"

Esme looked at Emmett harshly. "Language, Emmett. I will not have my son having such a dirty mouth," she scolded.

Rosalie smacked him in the back of the head. "Ouch, Rosie! I'm sorry, Mom. I just can't wait to wrestle with her. Nobody ever wants to play with me anymore." He was pouting, his lower lip protruding from his dimpled face. It was comical to see someone of his stature look like a two year old.

I smiled as he pictured the scene in his mind. He was in for a rude awakening. She would be stronger than him for at least a year. And with her extra gift, he might not ever be able to beat her.

Carlisle said, "I'm not sure what Bella did without seeing it in action. I'm almost positive that it was some kind of physical manifestation of her shield. What did Aro say about it?"

"He didn't mention the display of her power. In his mind he was delighted. He was also banking on the fact that she wouldn't be able to do it again soon. I mean, if she could, it would have been nothing to use it on him like she had on Felix and Jane. He was right. She could hardly stand afterward. It drained her energy and I think it shortened the time that she had left. I've never felt so unworthy of someone than I do right now. She put herself between me and Jane. She sacrificed her human life for me. She traded her freedom. How can I ever possibly repay her for surrendering so much?"

Bella quietly said, "You don't owe me anything, Edward."

I jumped as she startled me. I almost laughed at the absurdity. How can you startle a vampire? She was truly a one of a kind.

I leaned down closer to her. "Bella, how can you possibly say that? I've caused you so much pain and suffering. The worst is yet to come because now I have to take your life."

I was agonized. How could she not see the terrible tragedy that had befallen her? She smiled tiredly and put her finger to my lips. "Shhh. I don't see it the same way that you do. You saved me. More than once. You saved me from the van. You saved me from James. And now, you'll save me by making me like you. It's only fair that I get to save you once. It felt nice to protect my family instead of being the one protected."

I said, "You don't realize it, do you? You did save me. From the beginning. You saved me from myself."

Carlisle was smiling at Bella. He loved the thought that she had called us her family. He said, "Bella, can you tell me what happened in the throne room?"

She looked confused for a minute. "I'm not sure, Carlisle. I was so afraid. I don't know what happened, but you were all frozen; like statues. I couldn't wake you up. Edward was fighting with Felix and then he just fell to the ground. I could tell that he was in pain. I did the only thing that I could think of; I stepped in front of him. I wanted to stop whatever that bitch was doing to him."

She paused for a moment trying to compose herself. I could feel her anger, it was pulsing around her again. I could almost hear it crackling, like static electricity.

Carlisle was looking at her in awe. I've never seen anything like it. The power that she wields even now. Remarkable.

Jasper winced in physical pain. "Bella….please!" His teeth were clenched against the onslaught of anger. Edward, calm her down. I can't do it on my own. It's too strong. She's too strong. I can't get a grasp on it. She is too angry. I'm afraid that I'm going to start amplifying it.

I grasped her hand. "Bella, love, Jane can't hurt me now." I rubbed circles along the surface of her palm in an effort to calm her down. It was working gradually.

Jasper infused the room with an extra wave of calm. Thanks, Edward. I've never felt something so intensely before.

Bella took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry Jasper. Sometimes I can't control it."

Jasper smiled at her. "It's alright darlin'. This is new to you. It will get better as time goes on."

She smiled gratefully at him. Carlisle said, "Is that what happened in the throne room?"

Bella bit her lip, considering the question. "Not exactly. It started the same. I was angry that they were hurting Edward. I was angry that they were trying to separate me from my family again. I started remembering the helplessness that I felt…," she trailed off and shuddered. Breathing deeply once more she continued, "With James. I felt my anger bubble out away from my body. The rage grew until I literally couldn't hold it in any longer. Like a volcano erupting, I just let it go. Afterwards, I was so tired. Drained. I could hardly stay standing."

I said, "I'm so proud of you Bella. At first, I was angry that you endangered yourself. But it saved my life. Possibly all our lives. I will spend eternity trying to make it up to you."

She huffed impatiently, "I already told you that you don't owe me anything. You should be worrying about yourself. When is the last time you hunted?"

She touched the dark circles under my eyes as she spoke. I cleared my throat nervously. "I hunted once after you were taken."

Alice piped up, "Yeah, and that was because I forced him to do it."

I glared at my pixie-like sister as Bella looked at me angrily. Bella didn't need to know that particular fact. But it did bring another problem to my attention. I hadn't fed in about two weeks and I was going to have to change Bella to save her. There wasn't time for me to hunt before it had to be done. There was a very real possibility that I could lose control and kill her in her weakened state.

Another thought was plaguing my mind. How did Bella know that she was dying? How long had she known? Was she angry that I kept it from her? It was at times like these that I wished I could read her mind. It was agony sometimes to not know what she was thinking. The irony was not lost on me that the one that I cared the most for was the only one whose mind was completely silent to me.

Carlisle jarred me from my musings. Edward, you need to do it soon. Are you going to tell her?

"She already knows, Carlisle." I said it softly and at our natural speed since it seemed rude to talk about Bella like that where she could hear us.

Did you tell her?

"No."

Bella frowned and said, " Sometimes I hate it when you do that. What am I missing?"

I was shocked by her statement. She shouldn't have been able to hear me, much less understand me. Even if she had heard me, it should have sounded like a low buzzing noise. Human ears couldn't hear fast enough to comprehend us. She must be further into the change than we had originally thought.

Carlisle said, "You could hear that, Bella?"

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "Of course I heard him. Why shouldn't I?"

Carlisle was full of curiosity. She doesn't seem aware of her heightened senses. I wonder if it is because her change has been gradual. Maybe because is isn't such a drastic difference she is acclimating as she goes. It's fascinating.

Carlisle answered her, "No, dear. It's just that human ears shouldn't have been able to hear Edward just now."

Bella smiled serenely. "Yes. I noticed in the throne room that my hearing was better. I heard Aro order Jane to stop Edward. It's what made me realize what was happening to me. That's when I decided that I had to do something. I was already dying. It made no sense for you all to die too."

Everything clicked into place. That was how Bella knew. I always thought that she was too perceptive for her own good.

I pulled her into my lap savoring her sweet aroma. "Bella, you know what I have to do. I wish I could wait but we are running out of time. I have to do it tonight or it may be too late."

She reached up and cupped my face in her hand. I leaned into her soft touch. "I know Edward," she breathed. Her breath was so sweet that I felt momentarily light headed. And she accused me of dazzling her.

She looked me in the eye and I lamented at the change in her eye color. It wasn't nearly as beautiful as her original one. "I'm not afraid. I trust you."

My heart swelled. I was undeserving of such a pure soul as Bella. She was the bravest, most selfless, and caring person that I'd ever met. I kissed her softly, marveling at the texture of her lips. Silky and soft, they felt like rose petals and she smelled just as sweet. She pulled away, "I'm ready whenever you are."

I laid her back down on the middle of the bed. I was anxious and scared. What if I didn't have the control? I felt Carlisle's hand on my shoulder. We'll be here, son. We won't let you lose control. Sometimes I felt like he was the mind reader. You won't have to take too much blood since she has lost so much. You ought to bit her wrists and ankles as well to speed up the process.

I steeled myself as I kissed her one last time in her human form. My nose glided across her cheek and down her ear to her neck. I felt her shiver beneath me. I sucked lightly on her pulse point letting my venom gather in my mouth. I wanted to infuse as much as possible into her bloodstream to try and shorten the time that she would burn.

"I love you, Bella. Forever."

I sunk my teeth into her soft flesh. Exquisite. It was the only word to describe her taste. It was far better than I could of ever imagined. I drank slowly, keeping myself carefully in check. I stooped when I heard her heart falter and sealed the wound keeping the venom inside her.

I moved, quickly biting her wrists and ankles. Bella never cried out or even flinched as I bit her again and again. She was silent with her eyes closed, her long lashes laying against her pale cheek. I laid next to her and pulled her into my arms, settling in for the three longest days of my eternal life.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Bella POV

Edward kissed me softly and my heart stuttered. This was it. He was going to change me. I knew I would be in excruciating pain, but I wasn't a stranger to pain. I could handle it. I hoped that I could be like Carlisle and be silent through the change. I knew if I screamed and showed how much pain that I was in it would only hurt Edward and cause him grief. I wanted to spare him as much as I could. This was hard enough already. Besides, I doubt that it would help to scream.

I memorized how Edward's lips felt on my own. Carlisle had said that our human memories fade with time. I wanted to remember my human lifetime. Especially the time that I had spent with Edward. That was the happiest part of my human life. He said that he caused me pain and suffering but I disagreed. He brought love and warmth into my life. He brought me into a beautiful family full of love and compassion.

I decided that I would remember every part of my human life as I changed. I didn't want to lose anything. Including the time that I spent with James. It had changed who I was as a person and I had a feeling that it would be important later.

Edward's nose ghosted along my cheek and down my neck. I shivered as he sucked lightly on my neck causing my heart to race. The last one to do that was James. I had to keep in mind that this was Edward and not James. Edward would never hurt me. At least now I would bear Edward's mark as well.

He whispered, "I love you, Bella. Forever."

I braced myself for the pain and closed my eyes. I felt his teeth pierce my flesh and I resisted the urge to cry out. Edward was already torn up enough about this. I know he blamed himself. I know that he felt guilty about the whole situation. I didn't need Jasper's gift to know that. I felt the life slowly draining from me. It felt strangely intimate sharing my blood with Edward. It made me feel good that he could finally taste me. I knew it was something that he struggled with ever since we had first met. It comforted me to know that after this he wouldn't have to fight with himself anymore. I stayed perfectly still the whole time. I trusted him implicitly.

He pulled back slightly from me and ran his tongue over the wound which soothed the throbbing pain. Already I could feel the familiar flame spreading in my veins. I felt him move and then I felt his teeth sink into my wrists and ankles. Again, I stayed still. Afraid that if I moved I would lose the grasp that I had against the onslaught of pain.

I felt the bed dip again and someone pulled me into their arms. Edward. Already I could distinguish his scent. Honey and lilacs and sunshine. It was soothing as it blanketed my body and engulfed my senses.

Pain flared all around my body, burning hotter and hotter still. How hot could it get? I felt like I was being roasted on a spit. The small amount of fire that I had felt when James bit me was nothing compared to this. But it was an even trade. I would suffer anything for Edward. I would walk the fires of hell itself for him. I would endure the burn. This was Edward's venom. It made me his and not James'.

Now the venom was circulating my entire body. There wasn't one place that didn't feel like it was on fire. My nerves were raw and felt like they were being shredded. I resisted the overwhelming urge to scream as the pain coursed unyieldingly through my small frame. It was tortuous.

Edward smoothed my hair back from my sweaty face. He said, "Carlisle, she is too quiet. Did I do something wrong?"

I could hear the worry evident in his voice. I wanted to tell him not to worry, that I was okay but I didn't trust myself to speak. I let Carlisle ease his fears. "No," he reassured him. "You did everything correctly."

Jasper said, "She is in pain, Edward. I can feel it. She is just absorbing it."

Emmett said, " Bella is tougher than she looks, Edward. Think of everything that she has been through. She was a walking disaster as a human. I'm sure she learned how to tolerate pain. She is making me look like a pansy though. I screamed like a little girl during my change."

I wanted to laugh. Emmett always took things as they were, he never held anything back. I admired that. He wasn't afraid to say what he was thinking. He was the best older brother a person could have. I felt extremely blessed.

I kept my lips firmly sealed shut despite the urge to laugh at Emmett's comment. I was afraid if they parted for one second that I wouldn't be able to contain the screams threatening to burst from me. If Carlisle could do this, then I could do it.

I felt someone take my hand. Jasper. The pain eased a little, the edge going away making it more bearable. He was taking some of it from me. I wanted to tell him to stop it. He shouldn't suffer any of my pain. Tears welled up in my eyes. How had I gotten so lucky that a family full of wonderful people cared about me so much. Edward wiped my tears away as he whispered soothingly in my ear.

"It's alright, love. It will be over before you know it."

In the back of my mind I realized how these would be the last tears that I would ever be able to shed. It was sad to a certain degree, but in my mind I was gaining more than I was losing. Even if we had to stay in Volterra for awhile. Aro wouldn't be able to keep us here forever. If he thought that I was going to play servant for my whole immortal life then he had another thing coming.

Ugh! How much time had passed? It felt like forever. I distracted myself with my memories. Locking them away forever in my mind.

I remembered my childhood. Visiting Charlie in Forks. The fishing trips that we took and making mud pies with Jacob. The heat of the desert and my scatter-brained mother. The more I remembered the more I realized that my life didn't really start until I moved to Forks permanently. Until I met the Cullen's.

I remembered the first day that I had seen them in the cafeteria. The first day of biology with Edward. How puzzled I was at the way he was acting. The day in the meadow when he showed me what he really was. The first time that he had run with me. Our first kiss. Meeting his family and the way that he played the piano. Falling asleep with him holding me and how his smooth glass-like lips felt on my skin. His amazingly delicious scent that made my mouth water.

Then the fateful day in the clearing. Playing baseball and the appearance of the nomads. Lying to Charlie to keep him safe. Running across country with Jasper and Alice. The phone call from James that changed our lives. My escape from the airport to trade my life for the life of my mother. The relief that I felt when I realized that she was safe. The horror when James had announced his intentions for me.

The helplessness and anger that I felt when James raped me. The fear and confusion when he tried to make me like him. I stored it all away for a later date. I don't know why I felt compelled to remember those horrible things. It should be a relief to get rid of those memories. But for some reason I couldn't let it go. I couldn't shake the feeling that they would be important later.

I remembered calling Carlisle and the guilt I felt for putting them in danger. Meeting Aro for the first time. The confrontation between the Cullen's and James. His destruction. Then the appearance of the Volturi. Waking up and Emmett cooking for me. Then the scene in the throne room. They may regret making me a vampire someday. My powers would only to amplify and get stronger. I could only hope that I wouldn't accidentally hurt the ones that I love. I would bide my time. I wanted complete control of my gifts before I went about gaining freedom for myself and my family.

Time passed slowly. I had no idea how long I had been burning but it seemed like an eternity. I knew it was a small price to pay in exchange for an eternity with my love. It was a gift that I welcomed with open arms. I started to count his breaths to signify the passage of time. He was still there pressed against me. The coolness of his skin felt good against my own flesh that felt as if it was being incinerated from the inside out.

My thoughts turned to Charlie and Renee. If I had any regrets it was the fact that I could never see them again. Never have any contact. It would be too dangerous for them. They would never know what happened to their little girl. They would never get any closure. They would be left forever wondering if I was alive or dead. It broke my heart to think of the heartache that I was causing them.

I felt someone take my hand again and squeeze it gently. Waves of tranquility and calm swept over me. Jasper again. I concentrated on feeling grateful to thank him as I still didn't trust myself to speak. Another squeeze told me that he got the message.

I went back to counting Edward's breaths, thoughts of the future swirling in my mind; wishing that I would finally stop burning.

Edward POV

I was worried and anxious. Bella was too quiet. It was unnatural. Carlisle reassured me that I had done it correctly. Jasper said that she felt the pain from the venom. But yet she was so silent and still. Every change I had seen had involved a lot of screaming and thrashing. Sometimes you had to restrain the person so that they didn't injure themselves. I screamed all throughout my own change. The pain had been intense, terrible. The most excruciating thing that I had ever felt. Bella did none of those things. It was only the gentle rise and fall of her chest that gave away the fact that she was still alive.

She was pale before, but now she was vampire pale. Her skin was harder. Her human scent had all but faded. She still smelled the same but the burn no longer flared in my throat when I inhaled. I would miss that, as strange as it sounds.

Time passed slowly. I couldn't wait for Bella to wake up, for us to start our lives together again. I knew that we would still have some issues to work out. The last moments of her human life had hardly been pleasant. I would be there for her though. No matter what I would never leave her side. It was how I would begin to repay my debt to her. I would heal her and make her whole once more. She deserved happiness and I would do everything in my power to give that to her.

Bella's heart began to race. What was happening? I looked at the clock. It hadn't even been a full two days yet.

"Carlisle…?"

His brows were furrowed and a look of concerned plastered on his face. "I'm not sure Edward. Every change is different. And Bella's circumstances are definitely unique. The only thing we can do is wait and see."

Worried couldn't quite describe how I felt. What if something had gone drastically wrong? What if she was really dying? What if I was too late? I couldn't even contemplate a life without her. It would be pure torture.

Bella's eyes were fluttering and her fingers were twitching. That was a good sign. It was the first movement that I had seen from her since she started the change. Her heart rate increased further. It sounded like her heart was going to explode. It was one long continuous beat, like the whirring of helicopter blades. This was it. Her final human moments.

I felt so conflicted. I felt sad and happy at the same time. I felt terrible that Bella was losing so much. But the other part of me was rejoicing at getting what I felt so guilty about wanting. I had been alone for so long, surrounded by happy couples. I wasn't even aware of how lonely I had been until Bella came into my life.

I held my breath as Bella's heart stuttered. It beat twice quickly. Then it beat once more, echoing in her chest. Then there was silence. Bella didn't move and she wasn't breathing.

Oh, no. Please don't let it be true. I couldn't survive without her.

"Bella…?"

I reached out tentatively and touched her hand. Her eyes flashed open and less than a fraction of a second later she was crouched against the wall snarling horribly. I could feel that strange energy pulsing in the air again. I could have slapped myself. I had frightened her. I knew newborns were volatile. Bella would be even more so due to her experiences. I had to calm her down and quick lest she lose control of her gift.

I walked slowly forward with my hands up in surrender beside me where she could see them. She kept her crimson eyes on me, still growling harshly as I approached.

"Bella….Love….It's me….Edward."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End Note: Before you light the torches, gather your pitchforks, and try to lynch me just let me explain why I ended this with a cliffy. This story is entitled Human Pet. Bella is a vampire now. Which is the start to a whole new story. Yes, I will be writing a sequel. I've entitled it Volturi Pet. I hope that I have not turned anyone off by the ending to this story. I really feel that it would take away from the theme of this story if I continued once Bella was turned. I hope that you will stick with me for the sequel. It will be as good as this one. I have lots of ideas. Thanks to all the loyal fans that have read this fic from beginning to end. Thanks for the awesome reviews. I loved each one of them. Please feel free to review and let me know what you would like to see in the sequel. Again, thanks for reading. It's been a hell of a ride. Favorite me or put me on alert and stay tuned for the sequel. Until next time. : )

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This story is AU starting from the scene in the Ballet studio. This story is very graphic and there will be rape in chapter 3. If this subject bothers you, please don't continue to read. This is also the first fanfiction that I ever wrote. I'd like to think that I've come a little ways as a writer. I might rewrite this some day, if I ever get the time.


End file.
